Our hearts broke. Can you imagine? As a result of last years Presidential election in Kenya tribal warfare broke out across the nation. Homes were burned, family members were murdered, and 10,000 of the tribe’s people were forced to flee for safety.
And here we were…talking to the very people who were trying desperately to piece their lives back together. They had experienced such pain, but as we sat around their homes talking they acted so normal.
Where did they flee? Most came to a small plot of land in central Kenya that the government provided for the people to squat on. These people are called Internally Displaced People (IDP).
Looking around the camp felt like glancing around an unfinished construction site. While roughly fifty mud walled homes had been erected another fifty-two homes were yet to be built. For the past year these families have been living out of leaky tents waiting for the community to be able to afford to build more homes.
As our conversations continued we found ourselves shocked to hear the fate of their young teenagers. Daily the high school students walk down a major highway 3 miles to a little town where they can attend school. Seeing children in need the truckers have started taking advantage of the desperate girls. Knowing the children go days between meals the truckers offer to give money in exchange for the only thing the girls can offer, Sex. What began as children walking to school has now become a popular child prostitution location.
It was difficult to hear the fate of these people. There are so many needs. Where do we begin? Next week we will join Global Connections as they help build 52 homes, and to temporarily provide food and water until their crops can grow.
The biggest immediate problem left is what will happen to these high school girls. How can we help? There is no temporary solution to this problem. What steps must we take to eliminate this problem?
Once again the cry of this communities desperation showed us how necessary it is to provide Christian education. They need a high school. They need hope.
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