For many parents, travelling abroad for work is a difficult sacrifice made in the hope of creating a better future for their children. For one mother of four, that sacrifice took her to Saudi Arabia, where she worked for four years as a house manager.

While she was away working, her children remained at home under the care of others. Sadly, during her absence, her children were mistreated, an experience that caused her deep emotional pain. As a mother, knowing that her children had suffered while she was away left a lasting impact on her.

When she returned to Kenya, her own experience inspired her to support other families facing similar circumstances. Understanding the difficulties parents experience when they leave their children behind to seek employment abroad, she began caring for children whose parents were working in Saudi Arabia.

She opened her home to children and, at one point, cared for 24 children. Her intention was to provide them with care, safety and support while their parents worked abroad. She received small contributions from the parents to assist with the children’s basic needs, including food.

However, despite her good intentions, she was not operating with the required official license or authorization to provide childcare services from her home. Consequently, she was arrested and imprisoned in Kenya for taking care of the children without the necessary official authorization.

The experience was deeply distressing for her. Being detained and separated from the children she had been caring for, coupled with the difficult experiences she had already endured, significantly affected her emotional wellbeing. She emerged from the experience traumatized and in need of psychosocial support.

Through counselling and continued support, she has been given a safe space to speak about her experiences and begin processing the trauma she experienced. The support has also helped her regain confidence and begin looking towards the future with renewed hope.

Her story is a powerful reminder that people can experience vulnerability even when their intentions are to help others. It also highlights the importance of safe, regulated and informed childcare practices, particularly for families separated by labour migration.

Despite the challenges she has faced, she has demonstrated remarkable resilience.