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Rachael
Rachael
Ouko
People talk of changing the world and leaving it better than they found it. To make this a reality, we need to start by tackling the challenges that surround us every day.
@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
Rachael
Ouko
People talk of changing the world and leaving it better than they found it. To make this a reality, we need to start by tackling the challenges that surround us every day.
Rachael's Story
I experienced the dangers of being misinformed about sexual reproduction. I now devote my life to educating women about reproductive and sexual health. I am a program coordinator for Femme International.
I was born and raised in Mathare slum in Kenya. Having had no education or even informal discussion about menstruation or sexual health, I was unaware that sex could or would lead to pregnancy. Upon falling pregnant at 17, I was forced to drop out of school and was abandoned by my parents. Having been told that an overdose of paracetamol would end my pregnancy, I took the desperate decision to overdose. My baby survived but, due to a lack of healthcare services, I was unable to get any support during my pregnancy.
People talk of changing the world and leaving it better than they found it. To make this a reality, we need to start by tackling the challenges that surround us every day.
When my son was 2 years old, I met Julius Mwelu, founder of Mwelu Foundation, by chance, who was studying photography and film. Immediately taken by the creativity, I was inspired to return to school to finish my O-Levels. It was then that I started to talk to girls and women about sexual and reproductive health, determined that young women should be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to take charge of their own bodies – and lives. I believe that doing so will help to achieve SDGs 3 and 5. I have been involved with Femme International for 7 years and put my passion for film making to good use, creating my first film, ‘Being a Girl’. Alongside my education and advocacy work, I am studying accounting.
I am incredibly proud of my son, who is now fourteen and thriving, and has ambitions to become a footballer.
@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
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@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
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