Every single day many people die from gender based violence in different parts of Kisumu county, going by the reports on both social and mainstream media and data at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga teaching and referral hospital, these numbers have significantly risen in the recent past. More than 10,000 cases of domestic violence were recorded in Kisumu County last year with women being victims in 70% of the cases. The fight against GBV is curtailed by the lack of safe houses where the victims of GBV can be isolated and supported to rebuild their lives.

I am a survivor of gender based violence specifically domestic violence and sadly I did not have an appropriate place to go to when I walked out from home. I also struggled to provide basic needs for myself and to educate myself that I had to move from one friend's or stranger's house to another to look for shelter and get basic needs. The stigma that came with leaving home was also unbearable. Sadly this is the story of many victims who wish to walk away from abusive and toxic relationships but they don't have a safe place to go to and get the necessary support they need. The few victims who make the bold steps are forced  to survive on the limited spaces provided by private organizations as a majority of the victims are forced to continue living in the same places with perpetrators sometimes amid court proceedings.

The conversation to set up proper safe houses has been going on since 2014. In fact, three buildings were commissioned for the service by the county government but unfortunately none has been completed to date. 

Join me in calling for the county government of Kisumu to complete and equip the three safe houses that were commissioned as this will lead to more victims being rescued and increase awareness and help manage stigma.