She grew up in a Refugee Camp: Nairobi Mother Shares Heartbreaking Loss of Newborn Daughter After Difficult Birth and Being Abandoned by Partner

Hakima Nguet, who spent her early years growing up in Kakuma Refugee Camp, has faced adversity all her life. 

From a harsh childhood to being married off at a young age, Hakima has battled through challenges to raise her three children on her own, all while fighting to continue her education. But nothing could have prepared her for the pain she experienced in May, following the complicated birth of her fourth child. 

Used to having her previous three children through induced labour, Hakima went to the hospital expecting the same process. But this time, things took a different turn. Her labour dragged on unusually long, prompting doctors to break her water manually, a move that revealed deeper issues. 

Tragically, her baby girl arrived into the world unresponsive. “She didn’t cry,” Hakima said. “It took over 10 minutes before she even moved.” Medical professionals discovered the baby had suffered distress in the womb and had passed meconium, her first stool, before birth, causing a lack of oxygen that severely damaged her brain. 

The newborn was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where she struggled to survive for six days. Despite all efforts, she passed away.

“It was devastating,” Hakima said, her voice choked with grief. The baby was buried at Lang’ata Cemetery, a moment that continues to haunt Hakima. She said she cried so much that she lost 12 kilograms in just two weeks. 

The emotional toll was made even heavier by betrayal from the person she trusted most. The father of her children, with whom she had worked closely for years, turned his back on her when she needed him the most. He took the car she had invested in for income and used it for entertainment with his friends. Hakima was forced to reclaim the car and began driving for Uber herself, something she had previously done when her firstborn was only seven months old. 

Following the death of their baby, he sided with people who criticized her, deepening her heartbreak. “I was depressed throughout the pregnancy, and by the time I was due, I was completely broke,” she explained. 

Yet despite the immense sorrow and abandonment, Hakima found the courage to walk away from the toxic relationship. She now continues to push forward, determined to build a better future for herself and her children.