This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
7 months since delivering in city park, Atieno yet to get a job despite pledges by companies ¶
Rebecca Atieno, a 20-year-old woman, gave birth to her baby, Hope Achieng, in Uhuru Park on March 12, 2019, after being fired from her job as a waitress.
Atieno's story was first published in The Standard on October 23, 2019, and it sparked an outpouring of sympathy and pledges to offer assistance.
One of those well-wishers, Christine Riungu, offered to take in Atieno and Hope and let them stay in her servant's quarters until the new mother could get back on her feet.
However, despite the offers of employment made by several companies seven months ago, Atieno has yet to find a job.
'I am yet to hear anything from them,' Atieno said, resignedly, as if it was too much to expect assistance from strangers when not even her extended family in Nyakach, Kisumu County, had reached out to help.
Atieno, who is an orphan, had come to Nairobi a few months before her child's birth to look for work. She has a Class Eight leaving certificate and is waiting to collect her national identity card that she applied for in August.
Hope is weaning and is no longer solely dependent on her mother. 'Hope can eat ugali and she loves meat, too. I am ready to work now,' Atieno said.
After she gave birth, about Sh70, 000 was donated through Still A Mum, a non-profit organisation that supports families dealing with child loss through miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death.
The money will be used to pay rent for Atieno when she eventually gets a house. Part of it will also go towards paying for medical cover for mother and child from the National Hospital Insurance Fund for at least one year.
Director Wanjiru Kihusa of Still A Mum declined to reveal the names of companies that had offered to help Atieno, saying they were not doing so in bad faith.
'There was goodwill and it was just unfortunate that they could not offer anything within the time-frame they had,' Ms Kihusa said.
For now, Atieno still nurses ambitions of going back to school and is eager to find work to make ends meet.
