At just 17 years old, Farida Kadzo Changawa had already endured more pain than most people could imagine.
A Form Two student at Ng’ombeni Secondary School in Kilifi County, Farida had fought her way through a difficult childhood, motherhood and the challenge of returning to the classroom.
She was determined to build a better future—not only for herself, but also for the nine-month-old baby she had brought into the world.
But on June 6, 2025, that dream was brutally cut short outside her family’s home in Mferejini village, Kijipwa.
Farida’s story had begun with trauma.
Between August 2020 and May 2021, when she was still a child, she was reportedly repeatedly defiled by Samuel Shindo on different occasions.
The case was heard in Kilifi before later proceeding to Shanzu, where Shindo was convicted. During the proceedings, he reportedly claimed he was 17 at the time of the offences.
He was eventually sentenced to two years in prison, a punishment that raised concerns given the seriousness of the offences and the penalties provided for under Kenyan law.
Yet Farida refused to allow the painful experience to define the rest of her life.
She became a mother, returned to school and continued living with her mother, aunt, grandparents and siblings.
With support from the International Justice Mission (IJM), she remained focused on her education while caring for her young child.
Then came the evening that would change everything.
Farida reportedly spent part of that evening doing ordinary household chores—helping prepare supper and serving food to members of her family.
She eventually sat down to eat, unaware that she had only minutes left.
According to court proceedings, Lewis Kazungu Charo, a palm-wine tapper who had been employed by the family about six months earlier, arrived at the homestead.
Charo regularly climbed the family’s coconut trees for his work and carried a knife used for tapping palm wine.
Witness accounts indicated that he and Farida had spoken frequently over the preceding months. Her family, however, had reportedly discouraged any romantic relationship between the two, urging Farida to concentrate on school and caring for her baby.
That night, Charo allegedly called Farida outside the kitchen.
The two reportedly spoke in darkness for nearly an hour.
Court proceedings indicate that Charo asked Farida to accompany him, but she refused.
The conversation allegedly became heated.
Farida reportedly told him: “It is my body, so I will give it to whoever I want.”
Moments later, the situation allegedly turned deadly.
Charo reportedly pulled out the knife he used for tapping palm wine and attacked the teenager.
He allegedly inflicted a severe injury across her neck and throat before causing additional wounds to her cheeks, hands and arm.
The knife reportedly remained lodged in her neck.
Despite her injuries, Farida managed to run towards the family house, screaming for help.
Her relatives rushed outside.
What they saw was a scene they would never forget.
Farida was reportedly staggering into the compound with the knife still embedded in her neck.
She collapsed before her family and died outside the very home where she had been preparing dinner only moments earlier.
Following the attack, Charo reportedly fled towards Kaloleni as police began searching for him.
Days later, his own brother is said to have turned him over to authorities, leading to his arrest.
He was initially charged with murder.
However, during court proceedings, he entered into a plea bargain, resulting in the charge being reduced to manslaughter.
In May 2026, Mombasa High Court Judge Wendy Micheni sentenced Charo to 20 years in prison, bringing a measure of legal closure to a case that had devastated Farida’s family.
But no sentence can bring the teenager back.
Farida had survived experiences that could have broken her spirit. She had become a young mother, returned to school and continued pursuing an education despite the obstacles in her path.
She had dreams.
She had a child who needed her.
She had a future she was trying to rebuild.
Instead, that future ended violently at the age of just 17.
Her infant child will now grow up without the mother who fought so hard to create a better life for both of them—knowing her largely through photographs, stories and the memories preserved by the family.
Farida’s story remains a painful reminder of the vulnerability of young girls and the devastating consequences that can follow when violence, coercion and unresolved conflicts are allowed to escalate.
For her family, the grief remains.
For her child, a lifetime without a mother lies ahead.
And for Farida, the dreams she fought so hard to reclaim ended far too soon.
