Mercy Ywnuke Nyachuba - 15 years old
I was born in Kisii 12 December 1994. My mother is Jean Nyachuba and my father is Andrew Nyachuba. My sister is 5 years old and I have two brothers. One small brother Eliga and big brother Lamac.

School
I started school when I am 6 years in primary school. I was in school two years. I stopped school when I was 8 years. I have been 3 years in Children's Garden. I stopped school because of something. It was four years of something. Something. My father died. My father was a policeman and he died. I don't like my grandmother. My grandmother say to my father. - When you met this woman and have a family you have not given me any money. If you don't give me money you will die in an accident. This is on a Friday. Saturday my father always take me and my big brother for buying food. This Saturday he did not bring me and my big brother. He went with his small car to Kisii. His car turned on the road and he got glass in his eyes and in his stomach. He was taken to hospital. Grandmother said my father will not survive. He died. I was crying. My mother did not eat and drink. I didn't believe. We are very sad. The funeral and my grandmother did not go. That night we sit up. My mother and my brothers. At 12 we went to bed. When we sit on the bed we feel something...We hear something hitting the walls. My fathers brother and grandmother are throwing stones. My mother go out to talk to them. Grandmother tell my mother not to say anything. - If you say anything you will die. If you don't tell you live. I will make your leg expand and you understand. My mother's leg expanded and was back to normal again but my mother is sometimes sick in her leg. Sometimes later I go back to school.

A new man in the house
One month later my mother get another man. He tell us not to eat meat. He say he is a lawyer. And then he say he is a teacher. But he is a preacher. He tells me to sleep on the floor because he shall have his clothes on the bed. I ask him why he do this to me. He gets angry and he hits me. I make a bed on the floor with my clothes and a blanket. I am crying by my fathers grave. My brothers he tell not to go to school. Take care of the cow. My mother he tells not to talk. Be silent. My mother don't say anything. She accepted. He wanted to rule us. He tells me to cook for him. I refused. He burnt my arms over the fire and I have the scars here. The husband tells me to call him dad. I can't. I tell him I have a dad and he is dead. He hit me very much and I have blood all over my body. I big wound in my head. I run to my aunt and she wash me.

My sister
My sister accepted to call him dad and she was not hit. It was a time when he tried to rape my little sister. He was not normal. How he looked and how he behaved. He was a pretender. When he was in the house I was out. He could not find me. My mother was pregnant and she went to deliver. I go home to wash. I don't hear the husband behind me and he threw me on the bed. I scream for help and my mother is standing in the door with the newborn baby two other persons. One lady and one man and the husband runs away. He had removed his clothes but not yet removed my clothes. The husband was gone for four days. The fifth day he come back with a lot of shopping and clothes for the baby. I was in aunt's place. I come home and see my mother and the husband drinking together. I run away. My mother come after me. My mother cried. Mum packed his clothes and tell him to leave. He got angry and broke all glasses in the home and went away. When he left money was not there. My aunt ask if I want to go to school. I say yes. She take me to Children's Garden and I visit in holidays.

My father
One day I go home and I pass grandmother's place. She ask me to come. She is in the garden. - Come and see me! - I come when you bring my father back. Grandmother write a letter. - I'm very sorry for the words I told your father. Please come and see me! Grandmother. I went to her with the letter. I can't come and see you until you bring my father back. I'm suffering without him. My little sister is in Nairobi but I don't know where. My little brother is with my mother. My big brother is with my aunt.