Crowdfund returns cash donated for Kenyan teen mums

A mobile fundraising platform is refunding in full money that was being contributed towards an initiative to support teen mothers after a young Kenyan mother narrated about her struggle to raise a baby alone.

In a Twitter thread, Shirleen Mukami had last week explained how she and a few other struggling young mothers with "absent baby daddies and unsupportive families" had come together to support each other.

Kenyans then started contributing to an online fundraising initiative for them, raising more than 800,000 Kenya shillings ($7,100: £5,200).

But days later, some Kenyans questioned the genuineness of the initiative after someone posted a screengrab of an online chat, apparently of a man bragging to his friends about how he had started the fundraising initiative to buy a car.

The platform, M-changa, now says the initiative did not meet its "due diligence" and was refunding the entire amount raised.

Those who contributed say they have started receiving messages stating that refunds were being processed. Some had confirmed having received full refunds by Wednesday morning,

Ms Mukami has however defended the campaign, saying it was genuine.

She said she had sought the help of the man implicated in the online chats to help out - as he had been successful in fundraising in the past.

In another series of Twitter posts, she said the man told her that he was just joking with his friends.

This article originally appeared in BBC News.

Photo: AFP.