I've made friends with a 12 year old girl called Glory. She was beautiful and very kind. She lived down the road from me. I visited her home one day because I had bought her some sweets. I walked into her compound to find no adults anywhere. Glory's little sister who was still a tiny baby was crawling naked on the dirty floor with broken slates cutting her legs. She then banged her head on the side of the wooden shack which was their home. She screamed and cried in pain. Glory's cousin who is 9 years ols picked her up and placed her on her back. She too is bare footed in dirty clothes.

Where is your mother I ask Glory? She replies that she only lives with her auntie who is working on the tea fields. Why are you left alone I ask? Glory looks at me as if my question makes no sense.

Glory attends the local government school and will be educated for free until she is 13 years old. After this age she will not attend school. She will work with her auntie or do house chores. Maybe she will get married young and have children. Her future is uncertain but because Kenya's corrupt government will not pay for secondary education, many children, especially girls will never get out of poverty.