Inside the cave, the rain outside continued to fall, tapping softly on the rocks like a slow drumbeat.
The girls sat in a circle, wrapped in each other's silence. Their clothes were wet. Some had blood drying on their knees. No one said it, but they were hungry, cold, and scared.
It was Chebet who spoke first.
"We don't know if we'll make it out alive… but if we do, I want people to remember us properly. Not just as 'the girls who ran away.' I want them to know who we are."
Nyambura nodded. "Then let's talk. One by one. Say your story. What made you speak up."
And slowly, one by one, the fire inside each girl started to burn.
Nyambura – The Lioness from Githurai
Nyambura Wairimu was born and raised in Githurai 45, Nairobi. Her mother sold vegetables at the market. Her dad? She didn't know him. Only saw one photo once. Then it disappeared, just like he did.
She was the firstborn of three, the one who helped fetch water, boil tea, and keep her younger brothers in school. She was also the smartest in her class always finishing top five, until third term form one, when everything started to change.
That's when Principal Mwakazi arrived.
At first, he looked holy. Preached during assembly. Told students to pray and avoid evil. But then, quietly, he started punishing girls for nonsense reasons. Girls who said no to going to his office late in the evening started getting suspended.
Nyambura saw it all. She couldn't keep quiet.
She started the blog. Unmask Mwakazi.
She never put her name. Just the truth. At night, in secret, using a cheap old smart phone. She used words like weapons.
But someone leaked it. Someone betrayed her.
Now, she was running for her life.
Still, in the cave, Nyambura sat tall and strong. Her voice didn't shake when she said:
"I never wanted to be a hero. I just wanted peace. But now, I want justice."
Chebet – The Quiet Flame from Kericho
Chebet Kiprop came from a tea-picking family in Kericho. Her dad worked on a farm, plucking leaves for fifty bob a day. Her mum sold boiled maize by the roadside.
Chebet never talked much. Even in school, she was the quiet one. But she saw everything. And when one of her close friends got suspended for 'seducing a teacher' even though she was only fourteen Chebet's silence turned to anger.
She started writing poems. Hiding them under desks. One got found. That's how she got pulled into the blog group.
Chebet's voice in the cave was soft, but steady.
"I write poems because sometimes shouting doesn't work. But now, maybe we need to shout."
Amina – The Fighter from Eastleigh
Amina Hussein grew up in Eastleigh. Her parents owned a small mitumba stall. Her brothers were in and out of trouble. She was the only girl, the only one who actually enjoyed school.
But at school, her hijab made her a target. Some teachers treated her like she didn't belong. Others made jokes. One even told her, "Go back to Somalia."
Whilst She wasn't even a Somali.
When her friend got touched inappropriately by a male teacher and no one listened, Amina snapped. She joined Nyambura's secret group.
She typed her story in bold. No shame.
In the cave, holding her bandaged leg, Amina said, "People think Muslim girls are weak. I want to show them we're warriors."
Wambui – The Comedian from Dagoretti
Wambui Njeri was always the loud one. Funny, sarcastic, the girl who made everyone laugh even during exams.
She came from Dagoretti, raised by a single mum who worked in a hotel kitchen.
She joined the fight not because something happened to her but because it happened to her cousin. Her cousin got pregnant after being called to the principal's office too many times. She dropped out. Went silent. Disappeared.
Wambui refused to stay silent.
In the cave, she said with a half-smile, "Sometimes I joke a lot so I don't cry. But now I'm angry. And when I'm angry, I fight."
Sharon – The Silent Storm from Kawangware
Sharon Achieng didn't speak much in class. But she had a stare that could burn through walls. Her father was a drunkard. Her mother worked as a house help in Lavington. She lived with her grandmother.
Nobody noticed Sharon until the principal did.
She never said what happened exactly. But she changed. Stopped smiling. Became quiet.
One day, she punched a teacher who tried to block her in the staffroom corridor. Got suspended.
That's when Nyambura approached her.
Sharon didn't talk in the cave. But when her turn came, she simply lifted her shirt and showed a scar on her stomach.
Then she whispered, "This is my reason."
Everyone fell silent.
Mwikali – The Brain from Machakos
Mwikali Mutheu was the girl everyone called 'The Future Lawyer.' Top of every exam. Clean handwriting. Serious face.
She came from Machakos town. Her parents were both teachers. But when she reported that the school's bursary list had the same surnames every term, she was threatened.
When she asked questions, they called her 'too proud.'
She joined Nyambura's group to expose the stolen bursaries. That was her war.
In the cave, she said, "Justice doesn't fall from the sky. You have to grab it, bite it, and not let go."
Faith – The Forgotten One from Kibera
Faith Wanjiku was the last to join the group. She was often overlooked. Small, soft-voiced, always at the back.
She came from Kibera, where life was a daily struggle. Her dad had left. Her mum sold chapati in the evening to make ends meet.
When her best friend got expelled after accusing a teacher of touching her, Faith swore to speak.
Even though no one noticed her before, she made sure they would now.
In the cave, she said, "They thought I'd stay quiet. Now I'm louder than ever."
The girls sat in silence after that. Seven voices. Seven reasons. One fight.
Nyambura looked at each of them. Then she said, "We're not just running anymore. We're walking toward something. And I swear on my mother's name they will hear us."
The rain had stopped.
The night was quiet again.
But in that cave, the fire had been lit.
It would not go out.