Pauline Esokony

Pauline was born in the Kipsongo slum. Her father left when she was five, and life was hard for her mother, who struggled to provide food, clothes, and shelter for Pauline and her siblings. She had to stop going to school and joined her mother on the streets and at the dumpster to look for food.

At fifteen she became pregnant and the father did not acknowledge the child, so Catholic missionaries took her in with the baby and gave her basic training in tailoring. At eighteen she started looking for work, which was not easy: she met many people, especially men, who wanted to sleep with her before giving her a job. She was fortunate to join the National Youth Service, which taught her discipline and service, and after that she found work. She met the father of her two younger children a few months later.

When she heard about the group and what they were doing, she wanted to join immediately, and says this is where she belongs. She makes aprons, dog bandanas, table sets, dresses, skirts, and anything else involving tailoring, and she has joined the tailoring sponsorship program to advance her skills. Pauline's dream is to give her children a better life in education, health, living conditions, and nutrition.