Kenyan media personality and content creator Grace Ekirapa has opened up about the realities of parenting alone, sharing an emotional account of the struggles, doubts, and moments of grace that have shaped her journey as a mother.
Speaking candidly about raising her daughter AJ, Grace reflected on the challenges faced by parents who find themselves raising children without a partner, whether due to death, separation, abuse, or other difficult life circumstances.
“To speak about the parent who has to do it alone, I don’t just mean the women, the single moms. I mean the single dads too,” she said.
The media personality revealed that accepting the label of a single parent was one of the hardest parts of her journey. She admitted that she initially resisted being defined by the term and struggled to reconcile her reality with her expectations of family life.
According to Grace, she spent a long time searching for another way to describe her situation because she feared the emotional weight that came with identifying as a single mother.
“I looked for all the other names I could call myself other than single mom,” she said. “And I said to God, you have to change this. Even if the world sees me as one, you have to make me not see myself as one.”
Grace also made a candid admission about some of her lowest moments as a parent, revealing that the emotional weight of raising a child alone sometimes affected how she interacted with AJ.
“I remember instances where I actually would lash out at AJ, and she was so small. Guys, I’ve repented,” Grace admitted.
She recalled moments when both she and AJ would end up crying, leaving her questioning whether she was equipped to handle the responsibilities of motherhood.
“I’m upset, I’m angry, I’m crying, and she’s over there crying. And I’m like, how am I supposed to be here for you if I don’t even know how to be here for myself?” she said.
Grace recalled periods when she felt overwhelmed by responsibility, uncertainty, and self-doubt. She admitted that there were times she questioned how she ended up in her situation and whether she was capable of giving her daughter the support she needed.
The mother of one spoke honestly about moments when frustration got the better of her and left her feeling guilty afterward.
She remembered looking at her daughter and wondering how she could show up fully as a parent when she was struggling emotionally herself.
“I remember a time when I used to wake up and look at AJ and be like, ‘God, what did I do? How did I end up here?’” she said.
Those difficult emotions sometimes led to moments of isolation. Grace revealed that she would occasionally retreat to her room to cry and process the challenges she was facing.
