Coming from a very humble background in Getare-Misesi village, Bomachoge Chache, Kisii County, Hellen Nyabuto knew that life would not simply hand her success.
She had to work hard, not just for herself, but because she wanted to remove her family from poverty and give them a better life.
Na msichana vile alifika Canada, akaanza kujituma kweli kweli — kwa masomo na kazi hapa pale, determined to make something out of the opportunity she had been given.
She understood that in Canada, you can study while still working and earning a decent income, so Hellen took advantage of every opportunity she got.
She was building her future one step at a time — studying, working, saving and dreaming of the day she would look back and say, “I made it.” For Hellen, Canada was not just another country; it was a chance to change the story of her family.
Things seemed to be going well for Hellen, and whenever she made something from her work, hakuangalia ni kidogo ama ni mingi — she would send whatever little she could back home. She wanted her parents to see that their sacrifice had not been in vain.
On Thursday, August 18, 2022, after coming out of work, Hellen went back to her apartment na akasema ajirefresh with a cold swim. She changed her clothes, wore her swimming costume and prepared to take a dip.
But before she could start swimming, Hellen had another small plan — kuonyesha marafiki wake wa Facebook, wengi wao wakiwa watu wa ushago kwao, vile maisha ya Canada ilikua.
She wanted to interact with them, awaambie ametoka job and now she had decided to relax her mind kidogo.
So, she went live on Facebook.
So, she went live on Facebook.
She smiled, talked to her viewers and enjoyed the moment, completely unaware that the very people she was entertaining from their phone screens would soon become helpless witnesses to her final moments.
In that live video, alikuwa anaswim, anaenda kidogo mbele, then anarudi kuongea na viewers wake — those who were watching her.
About 10 minutes into the Facebook Live, something suddenly went terribly wrong.
Hellen, perhaps wanting to show her viewers that she could actually swim, decided to move farther into the pool — akaenda deep end, mbali.
But after reaching the deeper end, something changed.
Hellen tried to swim back, but hakuweza tena. In the live video, she could be seen struggling to stay afloat.
At first, someone watching might have thought she was simply swimming.
Lakini kadri seconds zilivyopita, hali ikaanza kuwa tofauti.
She tried to move through the water, but she could not make it back to safety. And the most painful part was that watu walikuwa wanamuangalia live, wakishuhudia what was happening through their phone screens — lakini hawakuwa ndani ya hiyo pool, hawangeweza kumfikia, na hawangeweza kufanya chochote kumsaidia.
The livestream continued as Hellen kept fighting the water. Alikuwa bado anajaribu kujiokoa, akichapa maji and struggling to remain above the surface.
Then, after several minutes, something changed.
The water suddenly became calm.
Hellen alikuwa ameacha kupambana.
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She had gone beneath the water, and the pool that had moments earlier been filled with her desperate movements was now eerily still.
The people watching the Facebook Live were seeing everything unfold, but they were thousands of kilometres away and completely helpless. They could see what was happening on their screens, but they couldn't jump into the pool to save her.
What had started as a simple Facebook Live to show her friends back home how she was spending her day in Canada had now turned into a devastating record of her final moments.
The video would later spread widely online, shocking many people who came across it. Facebook eventually removed the livestream because of its sensitive nature.
And just like that, a young Kenyan woman who had travelled to Canada with dreams of building a better future was gone.
For three hours, the pool remained strangely quiet.
The phone was still recording.
Hellen was no longer moving, but the livestream continued running as if nothing had happened.
After about three hours, two men came to the pool area. At first, they did not immediately realize what they were seeing in the water. One of them even thought it could have been a poodle or something else floating in the pool.
But when they looked more closely, they realized it was the body of a human being.
They raised the alarm, and the caretaker was called.
Emergency crews arrived and pulled Hellen from the water, but despite lifesaving efforts, she could not be revived. Police later confirmed that the 23-year-old had died.
Back in Kenya, her family was now facing a pain they could never have imagined.
Her family and friends launched a fundraising campaign to help bring her remains back to Kenya.
Well-wishers came through, and after weeks of difficult arrangements, Hellen's body finally arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday, October 1, 2022.
Her parents and relatives had even travelled to Canada before that to see the place where she died and accompany her remains home.
And when the casket arrived at JKIA, the reality of the tragedy finally hit home.
Hellen alikuwa amerudi nyumbani, lakini safari hii akiwa ndani ya jeneza.
The family took her remains to Lee Funeral Home before they were transported to Kisii.
On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Hellen was finally laid to rest at her parents' home in Getare-Misesi village, Bomachoge Chache, Kisii County.
May Hellen Wendy Nyabuto continue resting in eternal peace.
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Kenya