St Clare Girls Centre has also received several girls from Eldoret in western Kenya.  Eldoret is home to several IDP (internally displaced persons) camps.  Several girls from Eldoret shared their stories with me.

Teresa (not her real name) age 12 is from Eldoret in western Kenya. At a young age she was orphaned so Teresa lived with her sister and grandfather. They were very poor. So Teresa spent her days carrying water and tending sheep. When the post election violence of 2007 broke out, Teresa witnessed incredible destruction: homes were burned, people were beheaded and then burned to death. When she, her sister and grandfather escaped, they were taken by the police to a government camp for safety where Teresa lived  for three years.  She recalls, “I slept on a mattress with my sister. The place was very dirty. There were many people but never enough food.  There were no good schools.” Father Riwa came to the government camp to bring several girls to St Clare. Teresa continues “Now I am St Clare, a very good school. I can learn here and there is enough food and I am never sick. I have many friends and I am very happy!”

Sarah (not her real name) is 11 years old. She too originally lived in Eldoret. During the post election violence of 2007 her mother and father were both burned to death in their home. Sarah remembers,  “I ran away to a garden by myself and then went to my aunt’s house. My aunt was very poor so could not feed me much or prepare me for school but I helped out.  Then I was brought to St Clare three years ago. I like St Clare very much, because they take good care of me and here I have friends and plenty to eat.”