A Kenyan woman is contemplating staying away from her family after her mother cursed her for failing to send her money. Magdaline (not her real name) shared her story on Facebook, explaining the challenges she has endured since she was 18 years old. The mother of one noted that she went through a rough marriage and struggled to pick herself up without the support of her mother until she attained stability financially and emotionally. Her problems began when she got married into a family where the mother-in-law mistreated her even after she delivered her son.
. According to Magdaline, her real mother insisted she stay in the marriage despite her complaints of being mistreated because her husband’s family was wealthy. “I messed up and got married at a young age, I was only 18. I encountered the real mother-in-law, who mistreated me to the point of denying me food while I had a newborn. My mum believed that the family was financially well-off, so she insisted I stay in the marriage no matter what I went through,” she stated. How Kiambu woman left toxic marriage The young woman narrated that she began doing odd jobs in Thika town of Kiambu county and saved enough to rent a single-room apartment. She explained that she was ready to leave the marriage, but they chased her away alongside her son.
“When my child grew a little, I started doing odd jobs in hotels. There isn’t a single hotel in Thika Town where I haven’t worked. After saving some money, I left the marriage—or rather, I was chased out. But I thank God I managed to rent a single room for myself and my child,” she recalled. While doing one of her odd jobs, the mother of one met a man who sponsored her diploma in community finance. However, she knew attending classes and working would prevent her from taking care of her son physically. As such, she asked her mum to help her until she cleared school, but she turned her and her son away, saying the little boy had consumed a lot of food and should be taken back to his father. “I looked for a job at TIBS as a cleaner and met an older man. We exchanged contacts, and he promised to sponsor my education. I had scored a C in KCSE, so I pursued a diploma in Community Finance and completed it. I realized that going to class would mean my child would suffer, so I took him to my mother, but she refused to take care of him, claiming he ate too much and insisted I take him back to his father,” she narrated.
Juggling work and school The determined woman shared that she worked at night and attended classes during the day until she cleared her studies. She noted that anytime she asked her mum for monetary assistance, she would insult and criticise her for leaving a wealthy family. “Whenever I asked my mum for even KSh 500, she insulted me, saying I left a wealthy home. I went through hell, but by 2020, I started to stabilise a little. My sisters resented me because of my struggles back then. I decided to live my life as though I were an orphan,” she stated. Because her entire family turned their backs on her, Magdaline never returned home. However, after hearing that she started her own business, the mum of one said her mother reached out in 2024 asking for money.
According to her, the woman asked for money up to three times a week, and when she turned her request down, the old woman cursed her, noting that she was ungrateful and that she carried her for nine months in her womb. READ ALSO Kenyan mum worried after reading upsetting letter from teenage daughter: “I know what’s right” “It has been five years since I last went home. Since last year, my mum has always asked for money—up to three times a week. She heard from others that I now have a business. The same child she once rejected is now 11 years old and in Grade 6. When I told her I didn’t have money, she cursed me, saying I was ungrateful and that she carried me in her womb for nine months,” she explained. Magdaline noted that she loves her family but feels the need to stay away from them. Moreover, her sisters also ceased communication with her claiming she does not help them despite them being married.
by Lynn-Linzer Kibebe
