Woman Searches for Kenya's Missing Children

Enock Mudavadi, 32 and Elizabeth Auwa, 30, with their three-year-old son Gael, in their village in Vihiga County. Parents and brother of missing Monica Makhungu, who vanished in 2016 at the age of three while playing in their Nairobi neighborhood. Witnesses, including Monica's playmates, reported seeing a man giving her a bottle of water before taking her away. Enoch Mudavadi, Monica's father, approached the police for help but faced demands for money instead of assistance. A community-led search yielded a clue one of Monica's pink shoes was found a few kilometers from their home. Despite their efforts, the police later declared a lack of resources to continue the search, requesting funds even for fueling their vehicles. Mudavadi faced financial ruin and job loss in his relentless quest to find Monica, selling all his possessions to fund the search. Photographed in Vihiga County, Western Kenya, on Jan 22nd, 2024. (Photo by Malin Fezehai for The Washington Post via Getty Images)