Month: June 2025
Blog2025June

Month: June 2025

Your Child’s Tears Are Speaking; Are You Listening?

Understanding PTSD in Children and Why Your Response Matters

You may not see the bruise, blood or broken bone. But the signs will be the there because emotional trauma is real. It’s invisible; usually felt and it does change everything.

At Protect a Girl’s Image Organization, emotional trauma is one of the many wounds we help children heal from alongside physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, and exploitation. But emotional trauma is often overlooked, especially in African homes, because it doesn’t scream. It whispers. And if you don’t listen closely, you’ll miss it.

And it starts with us as the parents, guardians, or caregivers.

 

What If You’re Hurting Your Child Without Realizing It?

You may think shouting is harmless and that calling them “lazy” or “stubborn” is just a way of “correcting” them, but do words cut. And they cut deep.

Tone wounds and repeated yelling over small mistakes isn’t discipline, it is emotional damage.

Let’s be honest: how often have you yelled at your child for something that didn’t really deserve it? A spilled drink, a forgotten item, a small slip-up.
How often have you stopped to ask: Why is my child acting this way?

Not all misbehavior is defiance. Sometimes, it’s a cry for attention, connection or even a cry for help.

 

Brian’s Story Could Be Your Child’s

Let’s take the example of Brian. Let’s imagine Brian is seven years old. One day he breaks a glass and instead of being corrected with understanding, he is screamed at and it starts to become a pattern. At home he is “hard-headed” and overtime at school, he starts to be labeled “difficult.”

Brian’s father had just walked out and Brian’s world had started to feel unstable. His tears came out in tantrums because that’s the only language he has for grief. And no one is seeing the pain behind the behavior, so no one can understand and no one is helping Brian deal.

No one stops neither pauses to ask nor understand.
But when someone does pay attention and starts to help Brian do the work, that is when Brian’s healing is beginning.

And this too can be considered as part of therapy. Sometimes therapy is lending a listening ear and showing them that it’s okay for them to trust you. That you are hear to help and protect them; help them work it out. But also sometimes we find we can’t do it alone and it is also very okay to ask for help. We don’t have to do it alone.

 

What PTSD in Children Looks Like (That You May Be Missing)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children doesn’t always look like it in adults. Sometimes, it looks like:

  • Sudden silence or withdrawal
  • Aggression and anger
  • Drop in school performance
  • Clinginess or fear of being alone
  • “Disobedience” that masks anxiety, fear, or confusion

Among many others.

You may be seeing a child acting out, but what they really are… is wounded.

 

Here’s the Truth: Unhealed Children Become Hurting Adults

Ever heard of hurt people, hurt people?

And maybe you know that truth already. Maybe you are that hurting adult and maybe you still do carry the weight of words yelled at you years ago. Maybe you still flinch at loud voices or feel the need to “be perfect” just to be loved.

Trauma doesn’t age out. It follows you into adulthood if you don’t do the work. It follows you into relationships, parenting, decision-making; into many and different areas of your life including how you even relate with your coworkers.
It stays in your nervous system, even when you’ve forgotten the event.

It wasn’t your fault; what happened to you as a child was not your fault but what you do have a responsibility to do the work and heal. I know it’s unfair but this is how it is.

So let this sink in: how you treat your child today really matters and it is shaping the kind of adult they become in future.

 

What You Can Do, Starting Now

You don’t need to be a perfect parent, you just need to be a present, kind, and self-aware one.

Let’s break it down:

🌱 1. Start With Yourself

Sometimes, your child isn’t the problem—You are. Your own pain, stress, or upbringing might be bleeding into how you raise them.

It’s time to start checking your tone, your language, your energy. Healing starts with recognizing your patterns.

💬 2. Watch Your Words

Words matter; your child is building their self-image based on what you say.

How about: “Talk to me, I’m listening.” instead of “You never listen!”

“Mistakes are okay, let’s fix it together.” instead of “You always mess things up!”

Your words become their inner voice. Speak life.

🤝 3. Be Emotionally Present

Put down your phone and look them in the eyes. Let them talk without you rushing to correct. Sometimes they don’t need advice. They just need to know you care enough to listen.

🤗 4. Affection is Not Weakness

African parents, let’s say it louder: Your child needs affection.
A hug. A pat on the back. A smile.
These are not luxuries. They are tools of healing.

🧘🏾‍♀ 5. Let Them Process

And sometimes all they need is just time to cool down. Not every outburst needs instant punishment or attention. Give them the space to process: to cry, to think, to do whatever they need to (as long as it isn’t harmful)—but remind them you’re here when they’re ready.

 

You Never Stop Being a Parent

Even when your child is 18, 25, 35, 50 (if you’re fortunate enough)… they are still your child and you will always be their first love.
Don’t ever think kindness expires once they’re older. They will still look for your warmth and they will still carry your words—good or bad. So speak gently and correct with compassion, because even adults are still someone’s children and we do deserve some TLC (Tender Loving Care).

 

This Is Your Invitation to Grow

Your child is not just here to be disciplined, they are here to be understood and loved even when they mess up.
They should be able to feel safe in your presence and not scared of your reaction.

And you—yes you—can be part of the solution:

Reflect.

Relearn.

Reconnect.

At PGIO, we’re here to help families like yours heal. Not just fix surface-level behaviors, but go deeper; we know the signs and we see the silent pain. And we believe in your capacity to change, to grow, and to break generational patterns.

 

A Daily Dose of Hope

Need motivation or encouragement for the journey?
Follow our partners at @BoundlessHopeRehab for daily mental health inspiration and parenting tools.

Healing is possible; Growth is possible and you don’t have to do it alone.

 

🧡 Protect a Girl’s Image Organization (PGIO)
Supporting children through emotional trauma and beyond.
Because every child deserves to be seen, heard and healed.

If this message resonates with you, share it. Start the conversation. And be the parent who listens to the tears, and answers with love.

🌿Men Deserve Healing Too: Pius’ Story and the Power of Second Chances

June is Men’s Mental Health Month. A time to reflect, reimagine, and restore. And at PGIO, we believe that healing and restoration should extend to everyone. Not just to our girls, but to our boys and young men too—especially those quietly fading into the background of a society that forgot how much they matter.

This weekend, we lived out that belief in the most profound way.

Together with the compassionate and determined leadership of Irene Mutugi, 2027 aspiring MCA for Kangai Ward, we helped rescue a young man named Pius Bundi. A name once spoken with pride in Marura B Village; a name that had grown quiet in recent years, dimmed by hardship, addiction, and despair.

Pius is not your ordinary story. He was the first in his village to ever go to university. A bright young man, full of promise, who graduated with a Second Class Upper Division in Human Resource Management. That achievement didn’t come easy. It took the entire Marura B community—parents, elders, friends—rallying together to make it happen. They organized fundraisers, community meetings, and offered their limited resources to ensure that one of their own would rise. He was their hope.

But hope can be fragile in a country where job opportunities are scarce, and even brilliance goes unnoticed. After graduation, Pius tarmacked and tarmacked. But for how long can one soul wander with zero prospect and dimming hope?

Eventually, like so many others, Pius ended up taking what was available which was, distributing alcohol. Because as we say in Kenya, “kazi ni kazi.” And considering Pius has a Family; a wife and child, that depend on him. Not forgetting his parents who did everything they could including rallying community members so he could get through university. He really didn’t have much of an option but take the job, however much beneath him it was. But come on! Pius has a degree. A life that was meant for more. A community that depended on him to be a role model and inspiration to the rest of the children.

I remember at some point a parent told us that even when they advice their children to study hard in school, the answer they usually get is: “why waste all that time and energy when one of us who has even gone to university is nothing. Instead he is here sitting with us drinking illicit brew?” But you do realize this wasn’t what he wanted. Pius had higher aspirations for himself and his community. But in a cruel twist of irony, the only job that was supposedly available; the only job he was offered that was meant to be sort of a lifeline, was the very thing that exposed him to what would undo him—alcohol.

Addiction crept in quietly. What began as survival became dependency. With no job, no routine, and no opportunity, idleness filled his days—and alcohol filled the void. His light dimmed. The same young man whose community once danced for his graduation now moved through the days unnoticed. Forgotten.

But not by everyone.

For weeks, Irene Mutugi carried a burden for Pius. She remembered who he was. Who he still could be. She began to speak to those around her, rallying support, asking for help. And PGIO listened—this is exactly who we are: an organization that believes in second chances and community-led restoration.

Through the incredible partnership between PGIO and Irene, we were able to enroll Pius into our Boundless Hope Rehabilitation Centre—a safe place to heal, recover, and begin again.

And when we picked him up this past Saturday, the village stood still. People cried and others prayed. They smiled through tears as they watched the return of a son, a neighbor, a symbol of hope that had nearly slipped through their fingers.

Marura B is no stranger to this disease. Alcoholism has stolen too much—parents who drink away school fees, children who drop out due to peer pressure, dreams deferred, lives derailed, and even early marriage due to extreme hardships (read Mwitha’s story). But in the midst of this pain, Pius had pushed through. He had made it to the finish line. Now, it’s our turn to help him start again.

His story reminds us that the problem isn’t potential. It’s support!

There are many more Pius Bundis across Kenya—bright, brave, and burdened by circumstances beyond their control. At PGIO, we’re not just telling their stories—we’re doing something about it. Through rehabilitation, mentorship, mental health care, and job opportunity creation, we are working to restore dignity and rewrite narratives.

But we can’t do it alone.

💛 Let’s continue to believe in our sons the way we believe in our daughters.
💛 Let’s fight for futures that look impossible.
💛 Let’s keep choosing second chances.

For Pius. For Marura B. For many more like him.

Meet Mama Rachel – The Heartbeat of PGIO Kirinyaga

At the heart of Protect Girl Image Organization (PGIO) in Kirinyaga stands an extraordinary woman-Mama Rachel. Known for her unwavering compassion and tireless dedication, she is not just our matron-she is a symbol of hope, healing and transformation for countless children and teen mothers.

A Mother to Many, A Matron With a Mission

Mama Rachel’s responsibilities go far beyond traditional roles. On behalf of PGIO, she personally pays school fees for our beneficiaries, attend school meetings on our behalf and ensures every child is ready for a new term – complete with uniforms, stationery and other essentials. She identifies children whose uniforms are either worn out or too small, and ensures they receive replacements. For pupils lacking the most basic school supplies, she shops and delivers them herself.

But her care doesn’t end there.

Through a careful vetting process, she also identifies families in urgent need of household shopping—those who lack even the most basic necessities. Mama Rachel addresses these needs with a warm heart, empathy and zero judgment. Her dedication to the children’s welfare and discipline is unmatched, and she leads with an approach that is firm, yet overflowing with love and compassion.

The Soul of Our Rescue Home

Before our rescue home was sadly vandalized, Mama Rachel was its soul and heartbeat. She lived there with the teen mothers, offering not just a place of safety—but a nurturing, supportive environment.

She helped facilitate daycare services for teen moms going back to school or attending vocational training. But more profoundly, she instilled a culture of sisterhood—where every girl became her sister’s keeper. Teen moms whose schedules allowed took care of each other’s children. As one came back from class or training, another would take her place. Duties were shared. No one was left to struggle alone.

This unique system created a community of compassion, where young women supported one another through the highs and lows of young motherhood. They found strength in shared experiences, encouraged one another and learned that what they feared was abnormal, was often just part of the journey. With Mama Rachel’s leadership, they reduced the emotional toll and anxiety of parenting, knowing they had each other.

Because, as they say, it takes a village to raise a child—and Mama Rachel made sure these girls didn’t walk alone.

Her Journey to PGIO

Long before she joined PGIO, Mama Rachel was already a quiet force in the community. While others gossiped about children seen as “wayward” or “lost,” she reached out with kindness. Whether it was a child engaging in risky behavior or one struggling silently, Mama Rachel offered guidance, not judgment. She tried to redirect them toward brighter paths—toward education, dignity, and purpose.

Her empathy caught PGIO’s attention early on.

In villages where children often grow up in trauma—raised in homes plagued by domestic violence, drug abuse, or neglect—Mama Rachel saw not problems, but potential. She understood that many of these children were not “misbehaving” but hurting, carrying responsibilities far too heavy for their young shoulders (see Mwitha’s story for deeper insight). They needed support, not shame. They needed a guiding hand—and Mama Rachel offered exactly that.

A Trusted Bridge Between PGIO and the Community

When PGIO launched operations, much of our communication with government offices in Kirinyaga happened over the phone from our Nairobi headquarters. But we needed someone on the ground. Someone the community could trust. Someone who would respond with urgency and wisdom.

That someone was Mama Rachel.

She volunteered even before she was officially appointed. And soon after, she was chosen to lead our Kirinyaga branch office. Today, she remains the direct link between PGIO and our local beneficiaries, handling vetting, case assessments, school and home visits, and urgent intervention calls.

Why She Matters—Now More Than Ever

In a time when many children are silently suffering and young mothers are overwhelmed with fear and isolation, Mama Rachel is proof that one person can spark transformation. Her presence continues to change lives—one school visit, one conversation, one rescued soul at a time.

She is not just the matron of PGIO. She is its beating heart in Kirinyaga.

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Support our mission. Help us reach more children like those Mama Rachel touches every day.
Together, we can build a future filled with dignity, healing, and hope.

📍 Read more stories of transformation on our website; cases and updates.
💬 Have a question or want to support our work in Kirinyaga? Contact us today.