By Zipporah Kageha Karani; Edited by Leanna Cappiello
At the age of 14, Belinda is a primary school dropout.
"I was in class four... and because I could not read, I was taken back to class two." Feeling defeated, the young girl dropped out of school. Kenya's low literacy rate continues to affect girls like Belinda.
Belinda's father passed away a few years ago, leaving her, her siblings and her mother in poverty. Belinda's mother, Joyce, is the sole breadwinner of the family now, and life has not been easy providing for her five children.
Joyce works as a gold miner, which is hard labour, especially for a woman who is breastfeeding her youngest child. "I have to leave my child at home without breastfeeding him the whole day," she says.
The young girl wants to go back to school, not only to help her mother support the family, but build a future for herself as well.
Her family situation is bleak, but there is hope. Through the support World Vision, the family has been assisted to build a semi-permanent house which they currently live in today. A good home is the first step to improving their livelihood.
Belinda's mother says she wants the best for her children. She hopes that if she can provide well for the family, it would mean good health for her children and their education.
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