Motherhood, Girlhood & Second Chances in Kibera– SEEN AND UNSEEN.
In Kibera and mathare, some of Africa’s largest informal settlements, teenage pregnancy is not just a statistic—it is a lived reality sometsimes shaped by poverty, gendered violence, cultural expectations or systemic neglect. For many young girls, early motherhood is both a rupture and a reckoning: it disrupts childhood, education, and dreams—but can also become a catalyst for transformation. Soraya, a community organisation led by Habibah Jumah, Document the stories of teenage mothers both in Kibera and mathare
How do teen Mothers reclaim agency and dignity amid stigma?
Soraya offers a sanctuary and a launchpad for teenage mothers. A place where shame is replaced with solidarity and stigma with humour. Here, young women come together not just to survive, but to reimagine themselves as leaders, learners, and narrators of their own lives. Through workshops trainings, mentorship, and creative expressions, Soraya functions as both an emotional refuge and an incubator for second chances.
“I started Soraya because I wanted every teenage mother in Kibera to feel safety, sisterhood and a second chance. Girls call it “ SORAYA,” but what I really get is joy witnessing their becoming.
I believe fiercely in girlhood after motherhood.” Habibah Jumah- Founder and excutive Director, Soraya Teen Mums.
Despite growing awareness, many institutional reports still foreground shame, risk, and failure when addressing teen pregnancy—erasing the nuanced, powerful voices of young mothers themselves. This documentations hopes to bridge the significant gap in literature and media that treats girlhood not as a site of damage, but as a landscape of strength, leadership and relational wisdom. By centering lived experiences of girls at Soraya Teen Mums, we learn about their transtional moments, their strengths and the will to keep redifining themselves.
Teeen Mum Stories
Teenage pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa is deeply entangled with structural poverty, limited access to reproductive health services and gender inequality. Studies have consistently linked high rates of teen motherhood to informal settlements, where girls face overlapping vulnerabilities including economic precarity and sexual violence. In Nairobi’s urban slums, the convergence of overcrowding, parental absence, and transactional sex further intensifies risk. Yet, dominant discourses often individualize the issue, focusing on morality rather than context.
Cynthia Akinyi Pande — Age 19, Mathare
I’m 19, and my child is five years old. He gives me the strength I didn’t know I had.
But home is not always peaceful. Disagreements, arguments—those things drain me. I try to stay hopeful, mostly for him.
Hellen Zindoli — Age 17, KiberaI’m a young mother—just 17—and my child is a year old. Seeing him is enough to make my day.
But I hate being offended, disrespected, or ignored. And nothing hurts me more than the thought of someone harming my child.
Rodah Shikuri — Age 18, Kibera
I’m 18, and my son is one year and two weeks old. He is my source of joy, along with my family and my Soraya sisters.
But the thought of someone mistreating him terrifies me. And heartbreak—no, I don’t want to deal with that again.
Elizabeth Aidi — Age 21
I’m 21 and my child is almost two years old. His happiness and health are everything to me.
I don’t like gossip—when people talk behind my back, it hurts. My family lifts me up, but my mother’s illness breaks my heart. She means everything to me.Hellen Zindoli — Age 17, Kibera
I’m a young mother—just 17—and my child is a year old. Seeing him is enough to make my day.
But I hate being offended, disrespected, or ignored. And nothing hurts me more than the thought of someone harming my child.
“As a documentary photographer rooted in community stories, Through immersive fieldwork, I explored the intersection of motherhood transition, identity and community agency. I am learning that, to truly support teenage mothers in informal settlements, we must do more than intervene. we must listen, care about their truths and then, invest in an action.”
Soraya Stories
Habiba Tamim– Founder and Executive Director, Soray.
Ijawa Obaid– Film Producer and Director
