Peer to peer counselling is a key part of the road to recovery for survivors of abuse.

This gives a safe environment for women to share their stories and see they are not alone. All to often victims of abuse blame themselves and this is a key way for survivors to see they are not alone and it isn’t their fault.

This essay was forwarded to us by one of the therapists in our team. From her experience of dealing with abused women, she reckons it may be helpful for some.

It is a message that speaks to truth, so I would like to share it publically:

“Many people preach the nuclear family staying together because they say it’s in the child’s best interest—no matter what.

They say divorce ruins kids. They say single-parent homes are broken. They speak with the eyes of judgment and the mouth of tradition— as if staying together at all costs is the only version of love worth respecting.

But that mindset is dangerous. Because it doesn’t consider the full picture. It values structure over safety. It protects the idea of family— not the people inside it.

They’ll say: “Two parents are better than one.” “Kids need their mom and dad under the same roof.” “You should’ve tried harder. Gotten counseling. Stayed together for the kids.”

And if you tell them, “My parents divorced and it was the best thing for me”— they’ll say, “That’s not what you needed.” As if they know more about your lived experience than you do. As if your peace is irrelevant if it doesn’t fit their narrative.

But here’s what they don’t want to acknowledge: Sometimes the family structure you’re trying so hard to preserve… is the very thing doing the damage. A broken home isn’t defined by how many parents are in it. It’s defined by what’s happening inside. A broken home is constant tension, silent treatments, emotional manipulation, slamming doors, and withheld affection. It’s walking on eggshells. It’s a child becoming the emotional referee—or worse, the emotional sponge. It’s two people who clearly should’ve separated but stayed out of guilt, fear, or pressure.

And from the outside? Everything might look picture-perfect. There are smiles in public. Matching holiday outfits. Social media posts that say “blessed.” But inside, it’s performative. Everyone plays a role. Because if one person drops the act, someone pays for it. That’s not a home. That’s a stage. And the performance is built on fear and image management. Sometimes the pain isn’t just emotional. Kids may not witness the violence directly—but they see the bruises. They see the tears. They feel the tension. And sometimes, they do see it. Sometimes, they even become the targets themselves. And in the worst-case scenarios, it becomes fatal—not just for children, but for everyone involved. But people will still say, “At least the parents stayed together.” As if proximity is more important than protection. As if the illusion of unity matters more than the safety of everyone inside that home. They say things like: “That’s just what relationships are.” “Marriage means working through hard seasons.” “You don’t just leave because it gets tough.” They call it loyalty. They call it commitment. But what they’re really asking is that you sacrifice your peace, your safety, and your sanity—just to protect an illusion. Let’s be clear: There’s a difference between working through a rough patch and living in a war zone. If there’s something worth saving—go to therapy. Fight for it. Let your kids see what healing looks like. But if it stays toxic? Let them see what self-respect looks like too. Because staying in something that causes constant pain isn’t love. It’s slow self-destruction. Some people think divorce is a failure. But what they never talk about is what happens when you stay and it slowly breaks everyone inside. Choosing to let go isn’t giving up. It’s deciding to stop dragging your kids—and yourself—through pain that never ends. Yes, there are times when letting go is the right call. But only if you’re doing it for peace, not punishment. Only if you’re ending the pain, not repackaging it. Only if your kids remain the focus—not your anger, not your bitterness, and not your pride. Because when divorce is handled with maturity and mutual respect, it’s not a failure. It’s growth. It’s the moment two people realize the healthiest thing they can do is stop hurting each other— and start healing separately, so their children don’t grow up thinking love looks like pain. Sometimes, two people weren’t meant to spend a lifetime together. Sometimes, the only purpose they served in each other’s lives was to bring a child into the world. But when they choose peace over chaos, when they co-parent with respect— that’s not failure. That’s strength. That child gets to have both parents in their life—without absorbing the tension that used to live between them. They get to see that love doesn’t always mean staying. And endings don’t always mean absence. In the best cases, they even gain a bonus parent—because mom or dad finds someone new who brings more love, not more stress. And even when distance exists, technology closes the gap. Being a good parent isn’t about living in the same house. It’s about showing up, being consistent, and being present in the moments that matter. Children don’t need their parents to be romantically connected. They need support. They need stability. They need to know they are safe, understood, and loved—by both. And let’s not forget the single parents— the ones who never planned to do it alone… but do it anyway. Some are single because the other person didn’t want to be a parent. Some walked away from abuse, addiction, or emotional chaos. And some didn’t walk away at all— life made the decision for them when the other parent passed away. No matter how it happened, they didn’t choose to carry the load alone— but they carry it anyway. They work long hours, juggle multiple jobs, miss sleep, and skip meals— just to hold their household together. They’re the ride to school, the homework help, the late-night caregiver, and the emotional anchor. They absorb the tantrums, the guilt, the pressure, the fear. They break down in private so their kids don’t have to. They show up sick, overwhelmed, overworked— and still manage to love out loud. And still, they’re the ones judged the most. People say: “You should’ve picked better.” “No wonder your kid struggles.” “That child is missing something.” But here’s the truth: These homes aren’t broken. They’re built on the back of one person who had no backup, no break, and no other option— just the guts to do it anyway. If you truly have the child’s best interest at heart… then you should care about more than just keeping a family together for appearance’s sake. You should care whether that child feels safe in their own home. You should care whether they’re being emotionally supported, whether they’re surrounded by love, not silence, tension, fear, or resentment. You should care about what they see, what they absorb, and what kind of “normal” they’re being taught to accept. You should care about whether that child is being raised in peace— not just raised in a house with two adults who can’t stand each other but refuse to separate. You should care about whether they feel heard, protected, and emotionally stable— not just whether both parents are still under the same roof. Because “same roof” doesn’t always mean stability. Sometimes, it means stress. Sometimes, it means silence. Sometimes, it means watching love rot in real time. And sometimes, it means abuse. And if you truly care about what’s best for the child, then that should matter more than the image. More than the structure. More than what people will say. Because here’s the truth: Some people care about the child— until it challenges what they believe. They care, until the solution doesn’t look like what they were raised to accept. They care, until it makes them uncomfortable. Until it forces them to confront that a peaceful home with one parent is better than a hostile home with two. That’s when the caring stops. So ask yourself this, honestly: Do you care about what’s truly best for the child— or just what looks better, because it makes you feel better? Because confronting reality makes you uncomfortable? Because if emotional peace, protection, and healing don’t matter more than tradition, guilt, and image control— then stop saying it’s about the child.

It’s not. It’s about you.”

A vital part of what we do is reach and make it known that it is ok to seek help if you suffer from gender based violence.

We need people like Linda on the public stage, she fights for our cause and is a healer by nature.

We are blessed to have her heading up our team!

With almost 200 clients to help in Kisumu our team there are kept busy 7 days a week. Domestic violence does not take a day off at the weekends so we don’t either.

From left to right, this is Mary, Rahma, Linda (our founder), Stacy and Esther.

Between them they do community outreach, run a soup kitchen, cater to those in sheltered accomodations and direct 1 on 1 assistance to any client needing assistance.

They are all volunteers and work hard.

Please contribute to their efforts by donating, thank you.

One of the most important steps in the journey of recovery is for victims to realise they are not alone.

Domestic abuse victims are often convinced by their abusers that the abuse is the fault of the victim ‘bringing it onto themselves’. By being able to compare their own story with their peers they can reevaluate their own experience.

The mentor guides the conversation to include attributes of the victims abusers and points out to the group how these same attributes occur in all abusers and make it clear that this is not a normal way to live.

Since the funding from USAid was cut we have turned to the private sector to raise funds so we can continue with our operations. Through the hard work of our team and the godwill of the public we have continued to serve all our clients.

We have had to reduce our intake of new clients for the present, which is not an ideal situation.

There is a group of volunteers who are doing vital work to promote our Facebook page. If you could open the page and give us a like, comment and share it would help us tremendously:

Our Facebook page

If you would like to volunteer and do fundraising we would greatly appreciate. Anything from yard sales to climbing mountains are valid ways to raise funds, so it can easily be fun and is always rewarding.

Finally, if you are able to donate then please do, the work we do is vital and saves lives.

This is Anne with our founder, Linda.

Anne wasn’t always this happy, she called us 4 months ago as a struggling widow. With 2 kids, girl 8 and boy 5, life was not looking good as her husband had always provided. Her family has cut her off for honour based reasons.

When she approached us 4 months ago Anne and her kids were about to be evicted. We gave her a small grant to pay off her arrears and start a small business selling eggs and sausages next to United Mall.

She now regularly volunteers with us, often helping to prepare next the next days meals at night.

She has become a very welcome member of our growing community.

An important part of being effective is to link our efforts with other charities, we recently attended a networking event in Nakuru attended by a number of other NGOs.

Mary is a widow with 2 children who was cut off by her family in Kisumu.

“I had no where left to go with my two babies. I was spending the night on the street for the 4th day when Linda from Women’s Aid Kenya found me.

I am so grateful, she organized for me to stay in a bnb that night and the next day I was given emergency room for us to live and basic food for us. My family was able to have a hot meal for the first time in weeks.

I have been able to get help with finding some job and I have been able to take my own room.

I want to thank Women’s Aid Kenya for saving the life of me and my family.”

Mary Mwaniki

We are also proud to welcome Mary as one of our volunteers and she now helps others who are in situations similar to what she endured.