Participative Storytelling: A Critical Wellness Tool for Teenage-Mothers in Mathare Informal Settlement, Nairobi, Kenya

Globally informal settlements are polymorphic in nature, characterized by a myriad of social ills attributed to the low incomes and segregation from the urban development. The youths are usually labelled as villains and marginalized from accessing quality education, thus limiting their life chances. The psychosocial challenges experienced by the girl child within these inner cities are immense given the risk factors attributed to their lack of a sustained social support system. Mathare is one of the larger informal settlements of Nairobi, the Capital City of Kenya. The informal settlement has a history of political violence instigated by politicians, and thus the levels of poverty, crime and under-development are exuberated by ethnic animosity. The fate of the girl-child in Mathare is set in their vulnerability with livid experiences of a victim and survivor. This paper explores how participative storytelling has been an effective tool for a community engagement at Mathare, targeting teenage mothers aged between 13-17years. Through a sustained engagement and commitment, a conducive environment emerged, where the young mothers could establish positive emotions in sharing their stories, learning from them and desiring to transform. This paper will aim at highlighting the case stories of these young mothers, their disturbing experiences and how story telling has contributed to their self-transcendence amidst the agonies of their social environment.