What Is Life Anyway? The Painful Story of Elizabeth Njoki

Elizabeth Njoki is only 21 years old, but life has already tested her in ways many people may never experience.

She was born and raised in Nakuru in a comfortable family. Her father was a banker, her mother owned a boutique business, and the family lived a stable life in a large home.

But everything changed when Njoki was just 12 years old.

Her father was diagnosed with cancer and diabetes and passed away only one month later.

Barely two weeks after his burial, the family says his brothers forced them out of their home and took over the family property, including cars and the boutique business. Overnight, Njoki, her mother, and her siblings became homeless.

A family friend temporarily took them in before they relocated to Naivasha, where Njoki’s mother found a small job to support the children. The family tried to rebuild their lives, but the emotional and financial pressure soon became overwhelming.

Njoki’s mother fell into severe depression and was eventually admitted to Mathare Hospital for treatment. With her mother hospitalized, Njoki dropped out of school and began doing casual jobs to provide food for her younger siblings.

Despite the hardship, she remained academically gifted. She scored 378 marks and later received help from a Good Samaritan who paid for her secondary school education.

However, the family’s struggles continued.

While Njoki was in Form Three, her mother’s mental condition worsened again. She would disappear for days at a time before returning home. At one point, men reportedly took advantage of her vulnerable state, and she later became pregnant.

Njoki once again left school temporarily to work and support the growing family.

The family was repeatedly evicted from rental houses due to financial struggles before relocating to Kinangop to live with their grandmother. For a short while, life became more stable.

Then tragedy struck again in 2024 when their grandmother died, forcing the family out once more.

Njoki used her small savings to rent a single room for the family and continued working to survive.

In June last year, she collapsed after excessive bleeding and was rushed to hospital. Doctors diagnosed her with fibroids and informed her she urgently needed surgery costing KSh 80,000. Unable to afford the operation, she continued living with the condition while still caring for her mentally unstable mother and younger siblings.

As if that was not enough, the family lost their second-born son in a tragic accident later that same year.

Today, Elizabeth Njoki continues carrying the burden of holding her family together despite the endless hardships.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of her story is this: despite everything she has gone through, she still managed to score a B+ in KCSE — grades good enough to build a bright future for herself.

But instead of running away from responsibility, she chose to stay behind and fight for her family.

A painful reminder of how quickly life can change, and how some young people are forced to grow up far too early.