Increasing Support to Single Parents in Kenya

By Emmanuel Awuollo, Research Assistant

Links Research & Evaluation, Kenya

I am a young person in my mid-twenties from Kenya. I engage in activities to bring about social support amongst the youths and the vulnerable people in the community.

I have had the experience of being raised by my amazing single mother (I have four siblings). I wanted to write this blog post about the main causes of single parenting. I am focusing on women, as single parents are often women in Kenya[1] and how to increase support for single mothers/parents. It is my hope that this blog will be read by those interested in supporting single mothers in Kenya, also by those who are interested to know more about the organisations out there already doing great work - but that need more help.

Initially I read and watched several testimonials on the BBC[2] news, which describe how Kenyan mothers often have to choose between work and their children. This also showcases the work being done by some organisations in Kenya.

For my own research, in 2011 a study on single motherhood by Prof. Shelley Clark noted that women in other African countries often became single mothers due to the loss/death of the other parent. They also noted that in Kenya, a woman was more likely to be a single mother as a result of having a child before marriage[3].

And according to another survey, a Kenyan woman has a 59.5% chance of becoming a single mother within the age bracket of (15 - 45), at a rate of 60%[4]. In addition, as referred to above, around 30% of women in Kenya give birth before they are married and contributes to increases in single parenting amongst women[5].

Why does this matter? Well different research shows that single mothers in Kenya, in this case in urban areas, face many challenges as they work to do their best for their children. Some of these are challenges listed below, in relation to urban areas;

1. High level of unemployment - increased unemployment makes it hard to pay bills and support their families. Poverty makes it hard to pay for basic needs and necessities such as food, shelter, health and education for the wellbeing of their children[6].

2. Insecurity and vulnerability - increased levels of insecurity in and around informal urban settlements can create fear and this increases risks to the women and their level of vulnerable[7].

In Kenya, there are organisations providing help and support single mothers. Some examples are; the Government of Kenya, in conjunction with other non-governmental and community-based organisations, such as the Single Mothers Association of Kenya (SMAK), Make Me Smile International (MMSI) and Single Parent Initiatives.

I had the opportunity to interview three women living in the Kawangware urban area of Nairobi about challenges they face as single mothers. They also said it is important to increase support for single mothers through the following ways;

1. Increasing household income for sustainability through cash distributions and/or financial grants to women groups and families. They said that this could help them to pay for their children's education, health care services and rent.

2. Vocational training in capacity building and skills development. The women all said that they are willing to enroll in vocational and business training to improve their skills. They suggested trainings to enable them to start, run and manage their own business, which could help them to generate income.

One of the woman said: “I and others have been supported by the community organisation ‘Maisha poa’[8] through financial grants. I was able to pay and cater for bills and to provide food and shelter".

Another said: ‘’I also was supported by the Maisha Poa organisation. They have helped me with entrepreneurial skills, this has helped me to generate income and cater for my child’s expenses".

Single mothers in Kenya, and in other countries, face many challenges as they do their best in bringing, raising, supporting and catering to their children and families. To mitigate the challenges they face, offering them opportunities in different areas through different platforms could support them to enhance their quality of life – and help them to make the most of the everyday moments with their children.

[1] https://nation.africa/kenya/news/how-single-parenting-is-changing-the-face-of-family-3836566 [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61079265 [3] Africaparent ‘What’s it Like Being a Single Mother in Kenya?’ <www.africaparent.com/single-mother-in-kenya> (extracted Sept 2022). [4] Clark and Hamplova (2013) Single Motherhood and Child Mortality in Sub- Saharan Africa. [5] Nation Media Africa (2022) The Pan African study. [6] Ndirangu Ngunjiri 2019 Single mothers and poverty level in Kenya http://uaps2019.popconf.org/uploads/190538. [7] Insecurity and indignity, Amnesty international (July 2010) https://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/insecurity-and-indignity-womens-experiences-slums-nairobi-kenya. [8] Maisha Poa program was established in 2006 to address the issues of children living in the streets of Kawangware <https://fgck.or.ke/maisha-poa-program.html>