What the past 10 years of Clean Start Africa mean to me

Even though I joined in May 2023, the 10 years before me laid the foundation I now walk on. For me, CSA’s 10 years mean proof that “rescue without roots” fails, but “healing and belonging” works. It means watching Teresa say “no woman is disposable” so many times that we all started believing it too. It means 10 years of choosing women society called “convicts” and calling them “daughters, leaders, mothers”. In 2 years with CSA, I’ve seen that foundation carry thousands of women from shame to purpose. The past 10 years mean: it is possible.

A high moment that stands out in my experience

My highest moment was my first graduation ceremony I attended for UFUNUO women. A woman stood up, shaking, and said: “Before Clean Start Africa I thought my prison number was my name. Today I know my name is Blessed.” The whole hall cried. Wardens cried. I cried. That moment showed me Clean Start Africa doesn’t just train women, we return their identity. Since then, every Thursday Kisima Chapter and every Probation & After Care meeting reminds me why I stay. That one woman’s “I am Blessed” carries me through every hard day.

A low or challenging moment that shaped my journey

The low moment was visiting a Probation & After Care member 3 months after release who had relapsed into alcohol. She told me: “The craving was louder than the training.” I felt like we had failed her. But Teresa and the team taught me: relapse is data, not defeat. That moment shaped me to stop expecting perfection and start building better aftercare. It taught me patience, and that our work is a marathon, not a graduation event. Now I focus more on “Sister Support” calls and Freedom Plans because of that one woman.

What I am most excited and hopeful about for the next decade

I am most excited about the 2026-2036 plan: “From Rescue to Roots”. I’m hopeful because we’re shifting from doing everything for women to women leading everything. I see UFUNUO graduates becoming trainers, Probation & After Care beneficiaries becoming county advocates, and Clean Start Africa enterprises availing sustainable income generating opportunities. I’m hopeful that in 10 years we’ll have 1,000 Probation and After Care beneficiaries and recidivism below 10%. Most of all, I’m excited that my children will grow up in a Kenya where “ex-convict” is not a life sentence. That’s the decade I want to help build.

Closing line: Clean Start Africa gave me more than a job since 02 May 2023, it gave me a family and a purpose. I’m honored to write the next chapter with you.