Her small hands trembled as she pressed a carefully folded letter into Miriam’s palms- Justice Nest Founder and Executive Director. "Mwambie tumemumiss," the two children echoed in unison. "Tell her we miss her." The paper was soft from being handled too much, the pen smudged in places where tears had fallen. Beside her, fourteen-year-old Shujaa. stood rigid, his jaw clenched tight against emotions too big for a teenager to contain. He had become the man of the house overnight, though no child should bear that weight.

Their mother, Bernice., a hardworking greengrocer, has been detained at a Women's Prison since December 2024. Her crime? A moment of desperation after rival vendors destroyed her vegetable stall and assaulted her - her family's only source of income. The commotion led to her arrest and bails was set at Ksh 100,000 ($800) - an impossible sum for a woman who struggled daily to pay school fees and rent.

The Ripple Effects of a Single Arrest

Since that day, the children's world has crumbled. Their home was rented out to others, and they lost their personal belongings while their mother sat in jail. Their school reports are being withheld over unpaid fees (Ksh 12,000/$100). Beauty, who should be focused on preparing for her crucial National exams has to spend nights thinking about her mother. Shujaa., spends evenings helping his disabled aunt with chores, trying to study when he can. The once-bubbly Beauty. has become withdrawn, flinching when classmates whisper "Mama yao ako jela" ("Their mother is in jail").

Their mother's absence is a physical ache. Beauty. still sets an extra plate at dinner out of habit. Shujaa. lies awake listening for the sound of his mother's footsteps that don't come. The care packages from Justice Nest - with a few essentials- provide temporary comfort, but they can't replace a mother's embrace or ease the growing fear that this separation might become permanent.

A System That Punishes Poverty

Bernice.'s case reveals how the justice system fails the poor. She had actually reported being assaulted by these same neighbors first - there are police records and medical reports to prove it. Yet when conflict escalated, she was the one jailed. In prison, her depression worsens without consistent access to the medication she once received at a Nairobi Hospital. Meanwhile, her children bear the invisible sentence: the shame, the instability, the trauma of being suddenly orphaned by the justice system.

The Numbers and love That Could Change Everything

The mathematics of justice shouldn't be this simple, yet here we are:

• $40 provides a care package with essentials and hope.
• $100 clears school fees to get these children back in class.
• $800 posts bail to reunite a family.

Justice Nest is fighting in court for bail reduction and pushing for mental health diversion programs. But every day that passes is another day Beauty. cries herself to sleep, another day Shujaa. pretends he doesn't hear the cruel whispers, another day their mother's depression deepens in a cell far from her children.

A Call to Mend What's Been Broken

Pendo la Mama halipaswi kukatika. A mother's love should never be severed. This Mother's Day, we have the power to rewrite this family's story. Your love isn't just charity - it's an act of justice. It's books instead of trauma. It's a mother's arms around her children again. It's answering Beauty's heartbreaking question with action.

The time to act is now. Visit https://www.every.org/justice-nest/f/every-child-deserves to reach out to these two children and others or use M-Pesa Paybill 4699532 (Account: Your Name). Share their story with #PendoLaMama | #MamasLove and help us bring this mother home.

Because no child should have to mark days on a calendar waiting for their mother's return. No teenager should have to be the grownup. And no mother should lose her children because she couldn't afford bail after defending her livelihood. Together, we can fix this.

Names have been changed to protect the family's privacy. Care packages are delivered to children affected by parental incarceration, mothers in prisons and those getting released from prison.