As I thought earlier this morning of what to share in this week’s update, my mind was blank. Then I read two articles in a local newspaper that are about horrible things that have happened to girls in our country – yet these horrible things have resulted in incredible hope and change!
“After Mother Teresa, in comes Girl Teresa, 16” (Daily Nation, 8/20/08, p.3) shares the story of a young.jpg)
Pokot girl recently “named Nobel Prize winner – Children after she presented a talk on female circumcision and how it affected the schoolgirls in her district.” Rather than using her prize money “to buy a business or plot … (or) be the proud owner of more than 500 head of cattle”, she chose to giver her money to a group that fights traditions that cause too many girls of her ethnic community to “drop out of school and get married, often forcefully” at young ages. In one local school, “of the 300 girls who had enrolled, only 30 were still learning … Standards (Classes) Five up to Eight did not have a single girl. They had dropped out.” The young woman’s prize gift will be used “to spearhead the campaign that will see many girls from West Pokot district get the opportunity to go to school” and encourage them in “pursuing education to university”.
“Peacemaker moulded in hell” (Daily Nation, 8/20/08, p.36) tells of a young woman who became caretaker for three younger siblings at the age of 11. Yet, “these difficulties moulded her” and today she says, “I can never forget the kindness that I came across in my life. Now it’s my turn to give back to the community. I want to provide peace and cohesion in Kenya.” She is doing this through activities such as a Peace Caravan – “A convoy with camels, traditional dancers, dramatists … moving from village to village … to discuss social and development issues.” In this ongoing program, this year’s theme was “peace building.”
Reading these stories, I realized that I needed to share with you the story I heard yesterday from a young professional woman who balances her.jpg)
job with serving God. As we worked through our weekly Bible study, “Who God Says I Am” (our goal is to write a study book to build self-esteem in young Kenyan women), she told me more of her family. I had already learned that her father always taught her to aim towards being all God had created her to be. As we talked of her desire to complete a unversity degree, she told me that her mother did not attend school until she was 11, when primary school was first offered free. Her mother’s desire to attend school was so great that she was willing to face the teasing that came with attending Class One with her much younger brother – who would have been sent even if the charges had not been waived! Her mother did extremely well and an uncle offered to pay for her to go to high school, but other family members said this was a waste, so her formal education stopped. Her mother also received criticism for not marrying early or “getting” a baby – the way to prove in her culture that she would make a good wife! Instead she waited and married an educated, Christian man who could be a Godly father and provider for their children.
Why am I sharing these stories? First, to lead you to prayer for the young girls and women of Kenya. Pray that they will have the opportunity to become all God planned for them to be. I’m also sharing these stories because hearing these gives me an assurance of why God wants us in Kenya. We are here to be a part of bringing about His plans for hope, joy and peace for Kenyans. Pray that we will be strong ambassadors of His love and salvation which is more powerful than all the old ways and traditions that continue to keep His children in all parts of our world from becoming all that He created them to be! Bert Yates
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“‘Nobel’ winner donates Sh1million” – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/regional/-/1070/460644/-/6jorrj/-/index.html
GENERATION/Kenya/45: “Peacemaker moulded in hell” – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/461020/-/tk7gvw/-/index.html
“After Mother Teresa, in comes Girl Teresa, 16” (Daily Nation, 8/20/08, p.3) shares the story of a young
.jpg)
Pokot girl recently “named Nobel Prize winner – Children after she presented a talk on female circumcision and how it affected the schoolgirls in her district.” Rather than using her prize money “to buy a business or plot … (or) be the proud owner of more than 500 head of cattle”, she chose to giver her money to a group that fights traditions that cause too many girls of her ethnic community to “drop out of school and get married, often forcefully” at young ages. In one local school, “of the 300 girls who had enrolled, only 30 were still learning … Standards (Classes) Five up to Eight did not have a single girl. They had dropped out.” The young woman’s prize gift will be used “to spearhead the campaign that will see many girls from West Pokot district get the opportunity to go to school” and encourage them in “pursuing education to university”.“Peacemaker moulded in hell” (Daily Nation, 8/20/08, p.36) tells of a young woman who became caretaker for three younger siblings at the age of 11. Yet, “these difficulties moulded her” and today she says, “I can never forget the kindness that I came across in my life. Now it’s my turn to give back to the community. I want to provide peace and cohesion in Kenya.” She is doing this through activities such as a Peace Caravan – “A convoy with camels, traditional dancers, dramatists … moving from village to village … to discuss social and development issues.” In this ongoing program, this year’s theme was “peace building.”
Reading these stories, I realized that I needed to share with you the story I heard yesterday from a young professional woman who balances her
.jpg)
job with serving God. As we worked through our weekly Bible study, “Who God Says I Am” (our goal is to write a study book to build self-esteem in young Kenyan women), she told me more of her family. I had already learned that her father always taught her to aim towards being all God had created her to be. As we talked of her desire to complete a unversity degree, she told me that her mother did not attend school until she was 11, when primary school was first offered free. Her mother’s desire to attend school was so great that she was willing to face the teasing that came with attending Class One with her much younger brother – who would have been sent even if the charges had not been waived! Her mother did extremely well and an uncle offered to pay for her to go to high school, but other family members said this was a waste, so her formal education stopped. Her mother also received criticism for not marrying early or “getting” a baby – the way to prove in her culture that she would make a good wife! Instead she waited and married an educated, Christian man who could be a Godly father and provider for their children.Why am I sharing these stories? First, to lead you to prayer for the young girls and women of Kenya. Pray that they will have the opportunity to become all God planned for them to be. I’m also sharing these stories because hearing these gives me an assurance of why God wants us in Kenya. We are here to be a part of bringing about His plans for hope, joy and peace for Kenyans. Pray that we will be strong ambassadors of His love and salvation which is more powerful than all the old ways and traditions that continue to keep His children in all parts of our world from becoming all that He created them to be! Bert Yates
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
“‘Nobel’ winner donates Sh1million” – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/regional/-/1070/460644/-/6jorrj/-/index.html
GENERATION/Kenya/45: “Peacemaker moulded in hell” – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/461020/-/tk7gvw/-/index.html
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