48-bed Safe House constructed by Shofco in partnership with Meru County Government in Igembe Central./HANDOUT
At 19, Makena has already endured experiences that have forced her to grow up so quickly.
She forcefully underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) at 14, got married at 15 and became a mother at 17. She was thrown out of her home by her husband at 18, leaving her with nowhere to go and no means of supporting herself and her two-year-old child.
“I was just a young girl when everything changed. I was circumcised, then married, and before I could understand what was happening, I had a child. When I was chased away, I had nowhere to return to. Now I am only trying to find a way to survive and give my child a better life,” Makena says.
Makena, not her real name, is among the girls and women whose lives have been shaped by a combination of harmful cultural practices, poverty, early marriage and gender-based violence in Meru County.
According to an analysis of the 2024/25 Administration of Justice in Kenya Annual Report by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), Meru recorded 1,727 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in 2025, up from 1,640 in 2024.
The county ranks third nationally in reported SGBV cases, after Nairobi and Kiambu.
But despite the high number of cases, Meru County has lacked an operational safe house where FGM and SGBV survivors can seek protection and care.
That gap is now set to be addressed through a 48-bed safe house being established by Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco) in conjunction with Meru County Government in Igembe Central.
The facility will provide survivors with temporary shelter as they access counselling, medical care, legal assistance and economic empowerment services.
Judy Kawira, Meru County GBV Prevention and Response Coordinator, says the county has been overwhelmed by SGBV cases and has struggled to provide safe accommodation for survivors.
“Meru is one of the counties that is overwhelmed by GBV cases, yet we did not have an operational safe house for adults or teenagers. We are very happy that Shofco has come up with one in the county and we are ready to operationalise it once it’s complete,” Kawira says.
The absence of a local facility has forced authorities to send survivors to safe houses in Nakuru and Nyeri counties.
“We have been sending survivors of SGBV and FGM to safe houses outside the county. This has been a challenge because survivors need immediate protection and support. Shofco has also been helping with transport and other essential support,” she says.
The new safe house will have a counselling room and a clinical room where survivors can receive first-line support, including interventions to prevent HIV and unplanned pregnancies, as well as assistance with the collection of evidence in sexual offence cases.
Paul Ndung’u, Children Services Officer in Meru County, says poverty and child neglect are exposing young girls to exploitation and early marriages.
“We have cases of child neglect because of poverty, and this is driving young girls into early marriages. Young men involved in the miraa trade can get quick money and use it to influence vulnerable girls. What we often call teenage marriage is actually child marriage because many of these girls are way below 18 years,” Ndung’u says.
Ndung’u welcomed Shofco’s Rights of Children (ROC) clubs in Meru, saying they could help prevent abuse before it occurs.
“ROC clubs are a step in the right direction because children need to know their rights and where to seek help when those rights are violated. Giving them knowledge and confidence to report offences can help us intervene before abuse turns into a lifelong trauma,” he says.
Tabitha Muthenya, Ndoleli Location Chief, says she is currently handling three cases involving girls aged between 14 and 17 years who have been sexually assaulted.
“We are seeing very young girls being left vulnerable because of poverty and neglect. In one case, a girl ran to her grandfather for safety after her parents fought, but she was sexually abused by the very person she thought would protect her,” Muthenya says.
Sheila Wanjiru, a prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in Meru County, says the office has handled 37 sexual offence cases at Meru Law Courts alone since the beginning of 2026.
“Culture and poverty continue to affect the way sexual offences are handled. Sometimes families agree to reconcile and the survivor withdraws the case, yet sexual offences are criminal matters that require justice,” Wanjiru says.
She adds that failure by complainants and witnesses to attend court also contributes to delays and case withdrawals.
“Some cases are mentioned several times without the parties appearing in court. This contributes to a backlog and may eventually lead to withdrawal. We encourage survivors to approach the ODPP because we are ready to support them through the justice process,” she says.
Kelvin Gitonga, Shofco Program Officer - Gender and Inclusion in Meru County, says the organisation is working with gender champions across the county, as well as the county government, ODPP and other justice actors to respond to GBV prevention and response.
“A survivor should never have to navigate the justice system alone. Our gender champions are helping identify cases, connect survivors to services and walk with them through the justice process. We are working with government and justice actors to make sure survivors receive protection, counselling and legal support,” Gitonga says.
Dr Kennedy Odede, Shofco founder and chief executive, says his organisation’s decision to establish the safe house in Meru was driven by the need to respond to the interconnected challenges facing vulnerable girls and women.
“Behind every SGBV case is a human being whose future has been disrupted. FGM, poverty, harmful cultural practices and early marriage create a cycle in which girls lose their choices and become vulnerable to further violence,” Odede says.
Nchoro Kibira, a former FGM cutter who has since become a crusader against the practice and a Shofco Champion, is now using her own experience to persuade communities to abandon FGM.
"I know the pain and consequences of FGM because I was once part of it. Today, I speak against it so that no other girl has to suffer what I have seen and experienced. We must protect our daughters and give them a future free from FGM.”
Makena hopes to access counselling and join economic empowerment programmes at Shofcosafe house that will help her become financially independent and provide a stable life for her child.
“I cannot change what happened to me, but I can decide what happens next. I want to learn a skill and become independent. I want my child to grow up knowing that her mother fought for a better life,” she says.
