For Christine Omolo, Salama (Swahili for ‘safe’) was born from pain long before it became an organisation. The firstborn grew up carrying the weight of rejection. Her father had hoped for a son, and when she and her younger sister were born, he left them in search of a different family.
With her mother also absent at some point, Christine found herself navigating adulthood far too early.
“I had to really grow up fast, to be the big sister, the parent, the provider. At some point, my sister joined my father, and I found myself alone and with no place to really call home.”
She constantly moved from one home to another for shelter.
“In a sense, that’s kind of where this desire to have a safe place for girls who face rejection from their families and uncertainty, which is common at the Coast, came from and hence Salama.”
Salama, a non-profit organisation, began operations in 2022, taking in pregnant teenage girls who have been rejected by their families and labelled ‘a disgrace’.
"Every woman deserves a safe place, a second chance and someone who believes in her."
“It’s a safe house that provides shelter, care and emotional support to these girls with nowhere else to turn, with their babies, while also supporting several others living outside the facility.”
Before setting up Salama, Christine had worked with other non-profit organisations. Christine says she has helped more than 100 girls rebuild their lives.
“Every woman deserves a safe place, a second chance and someone who believes in her. Many of the girls arrive carrying deep emotional wounds after being rejected by their families. We work to restore not only their futures but also their sense of dignity.”
For Christine, the greatest reward is witnessing that transformation.
“Some girls arrive feeling worthless and unwanted. Then you see them begin to dream again, to believe in themselves. That is something that gives me the greatest satisfaction.”
–Sinda Matiko