Resilience despite adversity: SRC’s CSR touches SGBV survivors in Kibra

By Stephen Oinga

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), in collaboration with Saidika Organisation, sponsored a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative on 31 October 2024, aimed at uplifting vulnerable households in Kibra’s informal settlements.

The team from SRC, led by Anthony Mwangi, came with plenty of non-food items to donate, and which were received with appreciation. The occasion was also seasoned with warm remarks of encouragement for the vulnerable women present.

Among the 20 households supported through SRC’s donation of non-food items, many were survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and children living with HIV/AIDS.

One of the most inspiring stories was that of Jemima (not her real name), a resilient woman who overcame immense challenges to rebuild her life.

Jemima’s was a journey full of endless brutal domestic abuse. She narrates that her husband not only used to beat her mercilessly, but also threw her out of their matrimonial home with six children, including a six-month old infant.

“He gave me two options; to divorce him and give up the children, or keep my children, but turn a blind eye on child support,” she recalls. Although it was a torturous decision, like most mothers, Jemima chose her kids and made the hardest choice of her life, which was to take care of them unaided and against all odds.

It was through a local organisation that Jemima found a lifeline. “Saidika Organisation helped me start a chapati business along the road, and now, I run a hotel business,” Jemima shares with a smile.

The road to reconstructing her life once more, however, was not a walk in the park. With the little she earned, she could barely cover the cost of food for her family, let alone send her children to school.

Despite that, Jemima’s story is not all gloomy. With support from SRC and Saidika Organisation, her story is now being told in the warm, lively atmosphere of Mama Lady Hotel, a small but colorful restaurant tucked into the heart of Kibra, where flavours and resilience are in equal measure.

Every day, as the first light rips through the tin roofs of Kibra, she opens up their kitchen, chopping, stirring and seasoning with all her love.

The scents of rice and beans simmering, omena frying, and the thick, tasty beef stew wafting through the streets of Kibra, are all drawing in the locals, because not only do they get to consume a good meal, but are also guaranteed of a touch of human warmth.

Mama Lady Hotel is beyond just a dining place, it is a symbol of Jemima’s resolute spirit. She is not only providing food but also a tale of survival and rebirth, served with a touch of pride and self-satisfaction.

Furthermore, she has become the voice not only for herself, but for other women who have gone through horrifying experiences of SGBV.

Every Thursday she hooks into activities of SGBV awareness in Kibra educating and teaching people on how to stand up for themselves, especially those still trapped in similar situations.

Her transformation from a victim to a community leader is proof of the power of resilience, cooperation, and the aid of institutions such as SRC and Saidika Organisation.