I grew up with my grandma because my mother and father separated when I was about two months old. I grew up without a close relationship with my mom up till today. I was just with my grandma and my dad. Things changed when I was in class 6, and my dad became abusive and would beat me when he came home drunk. Life wasn’t easy after that. The year I found out I was HIV positive in Form One was the same year my dad sexually violated me. I don’t know why he did that; he was in a lot of pain while I was growing up.

I’m J.K, an 18-year-old girl from Kenya, and this is my story.