Our Narratives

Stories of Kisumu

Real stories from Kisumu women overcoming violence, reclaiming their lives, and inspiring change in their community.

‘Stories of Kisumu’ is a campaign that shares real experiences of gender-based violence in Kisumu, a vibrant town in western Kenya. The project begins in 2021 when our founder meets a local journalist documenting women’s struggles, and they collaborate to launch a pilot project. This moment marks the birth of Lighthouse and the use of storytelling as a mechanism for change. The campaign takes place at a critical moment: during the COVID-19 pandemic, violence against women increases sharply, and practices such as intimate partner violence, early marriage, and female genital mutilation remain widespread in Kenya. Over 40 percent of women in Kenya aged 15-49 report having experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner during their lifetimes, according to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey. In Kisumu slums, a recent study of 398 people aged 18-54 reveals that 76.1 percent report having been subjected to intimate partner violence; emotional abuse stands at 47.5 percent, economic abuse at 23.8 percent, sexual violence at 16.5 percent, and physical violence at 12.2 percent.

Through ‘Stories of Kisumu’, women and girls living in informal settlements such as Manyatta, Obunga, and Nyalenda, share their voices. We use storytelling forms such as interviews, spoken word, and short films, to actively encourage dialogue among community members and leaders. By centering survivors’ own words and choices, the campaign embodies narrative agency, allowing participants to define how their stories are told and shared. Let us journey back to 2021 and revisit Stories of Kisumu, a project that celebrates the courage, resilience, and determination of women reclaiming their lives in places where silence and stigma often dominate. Amid high rates of day-to-day violence and societal neglect, these women assert their agency through storytelling, and Lighthouse is proud to have provided them with a platform to do so.

Stories of Kisumu was where Lighthouse truly found its direction. We were documenting experiences of gender-based violence, and we were learning what it means to create a safe, co-owned storytelling space. Working with local journalists, community leaders, and survivors taught us that storytelling, when done ethically, is both an act of healing and of resistance.

For us, Kisumu became a blueprint. It showed that when stories are told with communities instead of about them, they begin to shift local consciousness through shared dignity. Lighthouse was born out of that realization: that narrative work can be rigorous, intercultural, and transformative all at once.

Ashitha Nayak

Founder, Lighthouse

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive issue across Africa, with alarming statistics highlighting its widespread impact. In Eastern and Southern Africa, 42% of women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes, leading to significant economic and social consequences World Bank. Sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest rates of childhood sexual violence, with over 79 million girls and women subjected to rape or sexual assault before the age of 18 UNICEF. Additionally, a study across 25 sub-Saharan African countries revealed that nearly 45% of women reported experiencing at least one form of GBV Frontiers. In South Africa, a survey indicated that 36% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives Human Rights Watch. These figures underscore the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address and prevent GBV across the continent.

‘Stories of Kisumu’ highlights powerful accounts of resilience, sparking awareness and encouraging conversations around gender-based violence in the community.

Stories of Kisumu in Motion

Stories of Kisumu: Tales of Courage

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of the most widespread and socially tolerated human rights violations across borders, race, ethnicity, and religion. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is particularly alarming, occurring in every region of the world, and Kenya, especially Kisumu County, is no exception. 

 Data from the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) highlights the magnitude of this issue, showing that over 21,000 survivors of SGBV have been supported nationally, with 56% being women and 36% girls. In Kisumu County, incidents of domestic violence exceed national averages, with the Gender-Based Violence Recovery Centre (GBVRC) having supported 1,161 survivors of sexual violence, 80.7% of whom were girls.

Stories of Kisumu began in 2021, when our founder met a young journalist in western Kenya documenting the everyday realities of women facing gender-based violence in Kisumu’s informal settlements. Their stories of courage amid silence, of survival amid neglect were impossible to turn away from. 

What started as one conversation became a shared commitment to create a platform where these women could speak and be heard on their own terms. The project soon grew into Lighthouse’s first major initiative, blending storytelling, film, and performance with community dialogue. 

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