Boda boda on the spot over school dropouts

SIAYA, KENYA: Every morning when she sees her peers pass by her home on their way to school, 17-year-old Karen stares into the empty distance with a heavy heart.

Orphaned at 10, Karen has been living with her maternal grandparents ever since she found life unbearable at her parents’ home. The humble family was strictly religious, and her guardians expected her to finish school, get a job and rescue them from poverty. This was her focus until she met Paul one rainy morning. All she had was Sh50 she had been given by her grandmother for the family’s supper. But she needed fare to school because she woke up late.