At only 18 years old, Shantel has lived through challenges that would break the spirit of many. The firstborn in a family of four, she grew up in Mutituni in Kenya where poverty forced her to abandon her dream of finishing school. Burdened with the responsibility of supporting her mother and siblings, Shantel took up work in a local restaurant juggling cleaning and serving tables while silently battling depression and the heavy weight of lost opportunities.
“When I officially dropped out of school in 2023, I knew there was no going back. The fee arrears were too high. I remember feeling like life had shut me out. I even thought about running away or getting married, but I couldn’t abandon my siblings,” Shantel recalls. “At times, I felt the world was punishing us.”
Like many adolescent girls out of school, Shantel faced immense risks; exposure to sexual exploitation by men, unintended pregnancy, and HIV infection. Without access to accurate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, her choices felt limited, and her future uncertain.
Everything changed the day Shantel encountered Tiko mobilisers in her neighbourhood. Curious about their work, she approached them and soon joined an interpersonal therapy for group (IPTG) session. These sessions became her turning point.
“Through this session, I learned how to cope with stress and mental health challenges. For the first time, I felt I wasn’t alone,” Shantel says. The groups helped her rebuild her confidence, strengthen relationships at work, and embrace SRH services, including HIV testing and family planning.
But the most transformative moment came when Shantel joined Tiko’s Return to School (RTS) program, which supports adolescents and young people who had dropped out to resume their education. Today, Shantel is back in class, balancing afternoon lessons with restaurant shifts. With her examination fees, school fees, and transport fully covered by Tiko, she is determined to sit for her KCSE this year and pursue her long-held dream of becoming a nurse.
“The Return to School programme gave me back my dream,” she says with a bright smile. “Now I know I can achieve the grade I need for nursing school. I want to help young people in my community live healthier lives and chase their dreams too.”
For Tiko, stories like Shantel’s are why innovation matters.
“The journey of a girl like Shantel begins in struggle silencing her strength. She carries the weight of poverty, missed school, and dreams that feel too far to reach. She faces risks no child should; unintended pregnancy, violence, and the slow fading of hope. But then, when she is given a chance to return, we see something extraordinary. She does not just pick up her books; she picks up her life again. She walks back into class with scars, but also with strength , determination, and a vision for a different tomorrow,” says Beatrice Wango, Tiko’s Director of Innovation. This is why our work matters. Every return-to-school story is a reminder that girls are not broken. They are waiting for the world to remove the systemic barriers holding them back. And when we do, they rise, they shine, and they bring entire communities with them.”
Shantel’s story is powerful, but it is not unique. Across Africa, there are countless girls like her. Bright, determined, and waiting for just one open door. When we walk with them, we are restoring voices, rebuilding dreams, and reshaping the future.