Mombasa woman fighting injustices from the centre of atrocities

Naila Abdalla, a Mombasa-based human rights defender has on several occasions been threatened by criminals, authorities and even her neighbours, but that has never made her deviate from her mission to assist the community she grew up in.

Abdalla was born and brought up in Kisauni, Mombasa where she witnessed all forms of violence such as dreaded raiding of homes by police officers who would beat men and youths mercilessly. She witnessed violence against women and children. She has also been a victim of a robbery by the same youths she grew up with and has further seen her peers and youths turn to zombies due to drug addiction.

Kisauni is popular for its criminal linked gangs. Poverty levels among the residents in this area are so high, that many families can’t afford three meals per day. As a result, many youths have turned to drugs and crimes, and most recently, radicalisation by Alshabaab and its sympathisers.

With all these atrocities around her, Abdalla made a promise to one day help in getting justice for her community through setting up a centre, which will give victims a safe haven to report. She claims that the reason violence thrived in this area was because cases went unreported with most victims either fearing the police, threatened or were silenced.

But despite all these, Abdalla, the executive director of Kisauni Sisters for Justice hopes to contribute to the making of a better tomorrow for the future generation.

Safe place

The-31-year-old is a firm believer of charity begins at home, and therefore, has been determined to start from home to change the world.

Kisauni Sisters For Justice was founded in 2017 in an area that most civil societies dreaded. “I wanted a place where families, victims and the whole society will be comfortable to walk in and report any case. I wanted a more accessible place where everyone could feel safe,” she says.

Abdalla leads a team of volunteers of human rights defenders comprising of legal aides and advisors, guiding and counsellors, first aiders and community monitors. Their mission has been to intervene in a conflict, mediate where necessary and/or pursue justice conclusively.

These three principles have enabled her to gain the trust of the community, thus becoming the first contact whenever a problem arises.

The rocky path

The organisation came in handy during the onset of Covid-19 in 2020 as it served as a counselling centre, especially for women and children who had been caught up in the lockdown and were locked with their abusers.

“We were called in to rescue women facing violence from their partners. We invaded homes to rescue children who had been sexually assaulted. That period was so challenging and it took a toll on me,” she recalls.

Abdalla gets satisfaction from rescuing a victim and further overseeing her abuser being prosecuted and convicted.

She has had her share of disappointment, especially when it comes to delaying or even denial of justice. “In some cases, you might rescue a victim, but the perpetrators go free for lack of evidence or the victims themselves fail to pursue the matter despite all the evidence. In other instances, we have been forced to stand up against the police and question their decisions. It is not easy, but that is our mandate,” she shares.

Abdalla notes how loopholes in some of the powerful laws and structural systems in the country have rendered them ineffective. She says there is a need for lawmakers to identify the loopholes, which give room for perpetrators to go scot-free without being punished.

“The government through its gender department should come up with safe houses, to ensure victims are protected against threats and intimidation,” Abdalla adds.

The defender’s guts to challenge some of the injustices have also landed her on the wrong side of the authorities. Abdalla, however, says with time, she has been able to develop a cordial relationship with the authorities such that she is called in whenever a conflict arises, especially rescuing gender-based violence victims or calming down rowdy youths in the area.

Despite facing a myriad of challenges such as a lack of donors to support the cause, she is never meant to dig into her pockets and fund some of the centre’s activities. Lack of funds has also forced the centre to run with the help of volunteer workers, thus limiting the services being offered to the community.

Abdalla further shares how many human rights defenders lack psychosocial support or a place where they could undergo counselling. “Some incidents haunt us and we need a place where we can go and debrief or somewhere we can express of fears,” she notes

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