Six Months in Kenya: Living and Learning Alongside the Maisha Mothers

Hello! I’m Jacinta, I’m 25 years old and I’m from Santiago, Chile. I am a social worker with a specialization in socio-legal interventions, and my main interest has always been to work with women and children. During my studies, thanks to the practical experiences I had, the different people I was able to work with, and the diverse issues I was involved in, it became clear to me that my vocation lies in accompanying, supporting, and fighting for social justice from a human, close, and feminist perspective.

The idea of volunteering has been with me since high school. Back then, it came from a more innocent place, but over the years and through my training as a social worker, that motivation evolved. I came to understand that volunteering is not just about “going to help,” but about working alongside others for their wellbeing, empowerment, and autonomy.

Social Work seeks to generate transformation, development, and social cohesion, and that deeper meaning was what finally pushed me to take the step. That’s how I came across Maisha. Literally by chance: a friend’s sister was going as a volunteer and I saw her story on Instagram. I got curious, started researching, and found an organization that perfectly matched everything I had dreamed of. A Chilean-Kenyan foundation, based in Nairobi, working in Kibera—the largest slum in Africa—accompanying young pregnant women through a clear focus on education, rights, and empowerment. I read about it and thought: this is for me. Maisha’s principles resonated directly with those of Social Work: social justice, human rights, autonomy, and collective responsibility. So I decided to wait until I graduated from university and as soon as I finished, I came here. And yes: it was the best decision I could have made.

On the ground, I volunteered in the Welcoming program from March to September 2025. This program offers temporary housing to young women who have no resources or support networks, and provides accompaniment throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Formally, my role was to ensure their biopsychosocial wellbeing and that of their babies. But in daily life, it was much more than that: listening to them, looking after them, sharing, talking, laughing together, accompanying them emotionally, running workshops and classes, being someone close and trustworthy. It was deep work, but also very human and heartfelt.

Over time, I built very special bonds with the moms at the “Home.” I learned from them resilience, simplicity, and joy. They also taught me so much about Kenyan culture, about their communities, and about their personal stories. I found in them friends and admirable women. And I truly felt part of a family, because that’s what the “Home” is: more than just a shelter, it is a real home. When the moms graduate from our programs, we always tell them: “once a Maisha mother, always a Maisha mother.”

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Not everything was easy. I heard raw and painful stories: women abandoned by their families, by their partners, facing motherhood alone, victims of abuse, and sometimes rejected by their communities due to the stigma around pregnancy outside of marriage. But what is truly remarkable is the strength and resilience with which they keep going. Despite everything, smiles, eagerness to learn, and hope were never lacking. They left a deep mark on me and showed me that they are true heroines.

In Kibera, there is a mural that says “Sisi ni mashujaa” (“we are heroes,” in Swahili). Inspired by the Leso or Khanga—a type of fabric commonly used by women to dress or to carry their babies on their backs—it was painted as a tribute to the courage it takes just to live in that community. For me, that message also represents the women I met at the Home: my girls, who truly are heroines.

Today, looking back, I can say that this has been one of the most rewarding, fulfilling, and incredible experiences of my life. I came as a volunteer, but for me it was also my first professional experience: I put my specialty into practice and explored different areas of Social Work. I grew as a professional, but above all as a person, and I had the opportunity to share life with women who inspire me deeply. I leave with a full heart and with more desire than ever to work for a fairer and more humane world.