‘Some nights were long. I could not sleep because I was hungry. However, I feel so proud and enthusiastic to be at Daraja. I feel safe, loved, and cared for. For the first time in my life, I have my own bed and blanket and I am eating three meals a day,’ Aquila shares happily.
Aquila is friendly, kind, smiley, and talkative, though quiet around strangers. She loves dancing, listening to music, and watching football. She lives in the Kiambiu slums outside Nairobi, where most residents work in informal jobs such as babysitting, washing clothes for others, and domestic work. Her family lives in a one-room house made of mud and iron sheets.
Her mother works as a security guard, leaving Aquila responsible for most of the housework. After her father underwent two surgical operations and later left home, the family rarely sees him. Aquila aspires to become a neurologist, inspired by her father’s medical experiences.”