Ivy Mureithi and her mother fled to Nairobi after a harrowing incident where her stepfather attempted to defile her when she was 12 years old. They found refuge in Kawangware, but life was tough – getting food and shelter became a daily struggle.
Eventually, Mureithi found work as a house help for an Indian family, babysitting and handling household tasks.
That job paid the bills back home, but more importantly, it became her turning point. The employer’s family took her back to school and after completing secondary school, she joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), where she pursued a degree in Information Technology.
So moved was she by their kindness that she saved a significant amount of money, intending to repay the family.
“When I went back, they returned the cash and told me the only way I could repay them was by helping another girl in distress, just as I had once been. That’s how the seed for the TrueCare New Day Centre was planted,” Mureithi recalls.
Years later, the centre thrives in the heart of Dagoretti. Young mothers – cradling babies, making peanut butter, sharpening their photography skills, or simply relaxing – fill the compound.
All under 20 years old, they are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Many have been referred by rescue centres, hospitals, or the police.
For most, this is the first place they’ve ever truly felt safe.
“I grew up in this community and I knew the only way to change the world was to start where I have my roots,” she says.
She founded the Centre to offer girls the support she never had.
“Most of the girls are survivors of defilement or incest. Many arrive pregnant, after being abused by people they trusted. In most of our cases, the perpetrators are relatives, so it becomes unsafe for them to stay at home.”
The centre offers prenatal and antenatal care, psychosocial counselling and education for those willing to return to school.
For those who choose a different path, the centre provides vocational training – peanut butter production, photography and soon, bakery and poultry projects.
Mureithi remembers the centre’s first baby – Emmanuel. His mother, a bright Standard 8 pupil, gave birth at Kenyatta National Hospital and was later enrolled in Form One.
“Holding him at Kenyatta brought a flood of emotions – joy, anxiety, hope. I felt fulfilled, like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do,” she says.
But it hasn’t always been smooth.
“We once lost a baby. It was one of the hardest moments. These girls go through high-risk pregnancies. But I walk with them like a mother would.”
Currently, 22 girls live at the centre. Sixteen are raising babies. Others lost pregnancies due to complications.
The tech-trained entrepreneur is committed to keeping them until they’re truly ready to face the world, stressing that reintegration must not be rushed.
“We walk with each girl until she can stand on her own.”
She also supports the girls through court cases, helping ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
“Even if a girl ‘consents’ and she’s underage, it’s still defilement – and the perpetrators must be charged in court,” Mureithi states firmly.
Some offenders have already been prosecuted and jailed; others are still being pursued.
The Dagoretti community has embraced her work. Donations pour in – food, clothes and other necessities. Community leaders refer cases and assist with reintegration.
“It takes a village to raise these girls,” she says with a smile.
To fund the centre, Mureithi runs Golden Flowa Solutions, a tech shop that sells laptops, cartridges and electronics. It pays the bills, school fees and rent.
“This journey has been one of faith. Sometimes, it’s just me and God,” she says.
But Mureithi dreams even bigger.
“I see a full safe house,” she says, her eyes lighting up.
“With a school, daycare, maternity ward, hospital, an Information Technology hub and a farm where we can raise chickens for meat and dairy cows where the infants and toddlers can have milk to consume. A place where girls can heal, learn and leave with skills.”
She envisions a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre (TVET) offering courses in fashion design, carpentry, masonry and more.
She longs not just for a safe space – but a space to dream and rebuild.
“Because we are allowed to dream,” Mureithi says. “And every girl who walks through this gate deserves that too.”
