This archive report was first published on 25 November 2021.
Kenya: Haven of Peace That is Offering Victims of Marital Violence Fresh Start - Usikimye ¶
Usikimye, an organisation that provides post-rescue medical care and psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence, has established three safe houses across Kenya, offering a fresh start to victims of marital violence.
Founded in July 2019 by Njeri Migwi and Stella Khachina, Usikimye started as an online platform to raise awareness on how to get help in cases of assault. However, the founders soon realised that there was a gap in the response systems meant to support victims, mostly women.
Ms Migwi, a GBV survivor herself, left an abusive marriage that left her partially deaf in the left ear. She recalls, "I did not know what to do or where to start. I needed a recovery place to pause and restart my life but those resources were unavailable."
Today, Usikimye runs safe houses in Thika, Kiambu, and Nairobi, providing temporary shelter to over 300 survivors. The organisation has also developed a case management tool to determine the appropriate response for victims who seek their help.
Victims reach Usikimye through social media, a network of Good Samaritans, and a toll-free hotline 0800000999. The organisation then vets the victims to determine the appropriate response, which may include referring them to psychologists, hospitals, or police stations. The last resort is admitting them to the safe houses.
Even then, the victims are required to acquire some documents before they are allowed into the safe houses. Ms Migwi says, "They must first go through the police and get an Occurrence Book (OB) number and a medical report (P3) from hospital. We usually assist by calling the stations in advance in the event that we cannot take them ourselves."
Once they check into the houses, Usikimye in-house psychologists have counselling sessions with them. The organisation has also infused skills training like sewing, baking, cooking, and financial literacy classes for the women.
The survivors stay at the shelters for a maximum of three months. They are prepared for reintegration back into the community by the second month. Ms Migwi says, "We try to trace their families and friends to ensure they have a place to stay. In cases where they have no one, we look for community volunteers to house them as we set up small businesses for them so that they can rebuild their lives."
Usikimye also runs a feeding programme and a mobile library in Nairobi's Soweto neighbourhood, where they feed over 1,000 children with uji and bread. Ms Migwi believes that lack of food creates tension in homes and can lead to domestic violence. The feeding programme significantly reduces such cases.
Ms Migwi received an award from Swedish Embassy Forum CIV for using social media for social change. She hopes to duplicate Usikimye's work across all counties in Kenya. The organisation was recently nominated for a humanitarian award at the National Business Leadership Awards.
