Mercy is the firstborn of her family, she has been attending school at Precious talent school. She lives with her family, father mother, and younger brother Kyla, three years of age. Mercy’s favorite subjects are Mathematics and English. During her free time she enjoys singing and composing songs, she also is gifted in sports and loves playing football, her favorite food is “Ugali” and kale.
Mercy’s dream is to be a medical doctor after she successfully completes her studies, however, her dream is at stake since her parents are unable to keep her in school as well as support her in school as well as provide for all her basic needs. Both parents are casual laborers, hence not permanently employed, this has been even harder these days, especially with the rise in living standards in Kenya there are no casual jobs. Life has been really tough for this family, for the father as he says it has not been easy for him being the breadwinner of her family when he cannot even provide all meals a day.
The house they live in is a single one made from Iron sheets and timber, the room has been subdivided by curtains into two, the room serves as a living room, bedroom and kitchen altogether. The house is furnished with a couch, a table and a television set, and a kitchen space where they prepare their meals. The house has a double-decker bed where the parents sleep while mercy sleeps on the couch.
The house is connected to electricity which they pay via a token. Since the houses are not fitted with washrooms and bathrooms they share with several other neighbors, it’s not easy living in the environment they are in nor is it conducive for raising small children, hence the hope of Mercy’s parents is all dependent on Mercy’s success to escape poverty.