Kenya – At seventeen, Esther Solonka was sold into marriage for cattle to a man almost three times her age. What followed was a life of violence, sexual abuse and isolation. After giving birth to two sons, she managed to escape. Her story reveals how poverty, deeply rooted traditions and gender inequality continue to fuel child marriage and female genital mutilation in Kenya, despite laws prohibiting both practices. “It felt as though my life no longer belonged to me,” Esther recalls. Now nineteen, she is determined to rebuild her life and speak out for the rights of other girls.

Images: Nicole Franken – Text: Yvonne Dudock