Kenya Girls' Rescue Center
Not only are young pre-teen tribal girls routinely "sold" into polygamous marriages with older men, but also female genital mutilation issues are rampant in many Kenyan towns. After learning about this "accepted curse," the leaders of the Kenya project decided that this issue could not go unanswered. Therefore, a "rescue center" has been set up to provide a place of hope and refuge for hundreds of Kenya's girls. Only an hours drive outside of the bustling center of Nairobi, the Oloolotikosh Girls' Rescue Center will become self-suficient in food production as well as instilling useful farm skills for the girls of the Rescue Center. The goal of the initiative is to produce a self-sustaining facility with minimal external funding.
From a barren 10-acre plot of land to finished structures that serve and encourage 31 vibrant girls, the physical changes to the Girls Rescue Center (GRC) have been dramatic over the last few years.
Twenty-two people from Christ Community experienced these changes first-hand when they spent two weeks with the rescued girls and surrounding community members in Olooloitikoshi, Kenya.
Some of the mission team members put on a soccer camp for 120 school-aged kids, where they worked alongside Kenyan soccer coaches. At the end of the week, seven children publicly accepted Christ.
Other team members conducted conferences for men, women, and children. During these conferences, the Kenya participants were surprisingly honest about their cultural struggles and personal triumphs. The Christ Community team responded with God’s Word and true life experiences that resounded with grace.
Several team members worked on the construction of the Rescue Center, which has expanded to include a school building for the girls who live there. In the span of the two weeks the Christ Community team was in Kenya, the foundation for the school building was dug out and concrete poured!
Perhaps more importantly, all team members met the girls at the GRC, listened to their stories, and prayed with them. They met Jackline, a 14-year-old who was raped by her brother-in-law, and had a baby as a result. They met Eliza, who at only 10 years old is the youngest girl at the Rescue Center. They met Mary, one of Eliza’s older sisters who has endured countless beatings from her father and has suffered health issues as a result.
Even though each girl’s story is full of pain and suffering, the team from our church witnessed God’s grace—grace to restore hope and joy into the lives of these young girls who might not have experienced that due to their family situations or cultural traditions.
For more information about the Kenya Girls' Rescue Center project, or to get involved, contact Mark at mzee-saruni@msn.com or Robb Casseday at Robb@Casseday.net.