Sharing the Love of Christ with Children in Migori County

Migori County has been on our screens in Kenya lately for not very good reasons. The big problem is female genital mutilation (FGM)! Yes, it was the elephant in the room! Girls as young as nine are drawn into this regressive cultural practice and end up marrying early and having babies just like them. Innocence is gone! Dignity is gone! The school is gone!

It takes courage to assert yourself in a culture that doesn’t give schoolgirls a platform to choose their lifestyle. They have no voice, and even if they tried, it would dissolve into a hostile environment. Mothers and grandmothers have done it before, why shouldn’t their daughters do it? The cycles continue!

How can a custom so deeply rooted in the heart of the Curian community be eradicated? Does God have anything to say about such a vice?

Girls were born into this culture, where levels of poverty encourage children and youth to engage in sexual activities to curb austerity, including the purchase of books, sanitary pads and uniforms. Some get HIV/AIDS because gold diggers seduce girls with money! In fact, when they review their lifestyle, they see little hope.

According to Kenya’s Migori County Devolution Ministry (devolution.go.ke), approximately 90% of the county’s population lives in rural areas, where adobe-walled buildings are the predominant type of housing.

This is the story of the schoolchildren and youth of the Nyatike region. How can such a child afford to buy a Bible?

School problems in Migori County: Kuria and Nyatike regions include

1. Lack of interest in education due to high levels of poverty.
2. There is no reading culture.
3. Really marginal houses.
4. Hostile environment with deep-rooted cultural issues.

Compassion Based on the Bible

We are called to do so! Even they are candidates for grace!

They will never know unless they are told! During the week of June 19-23, 2023, BSK partnered with community members in Migori County and One Hope International to bring hope to children and youth through the Word of God. Bibles were distributed to 12,537 students, each of whom received a Bible, New Testament, or part of the Bible! In five days, 29 schools were covered. A big thank you to our partners who help us get the resources to ensure that the scriptures are in the hands of this unreached audience!

What then?

Church: PEFA, Maranta Faith Assemblies, SDA and Catholics are the main denominations in the Curia and Nyatike regions and we want them to be inspired from the heart for children. They were tasked with fighting for children’s rights, not putting money over souls. Remember to value the Word of God above everything else, including culture. Remember to set a practical example for people who live by the practical Word and develop so well that the culture has not brainwashed them.

Schooling for all children is part of the sustainable development goals. In fact, education itself is one of the greatest means to help the boys and girls of Migori empower themselves to secure a sustainable future for their parents and future generations. We pray that the Bibles being distributed will realize this goal as they scan and interact with God’s Word. That the darkness that surrounds them so much will be driven out by the Living Word of God. We envision an educated child with equal opportunity to learn and develop CRE because they have Bibles, who know God’s principles because the Bible gives understanding to the simple, and a child who can stand up for their rights because they will know their identity and are based on purity. on the Word of God!

Topical research

Mr. John Ogalo is Principal of Otoch Rakuom High School in Nyatike District of Migori County. He has been with the school since it was founded in 2015 and has made the school of 202 students a very student-friendly environment! He is the epitome of a great role model! The leader works closely with parents to build the school and the students in every way.

Beggars who are unable to pay tuition are never sent home because that could mean the end of their education, because home is no better. Parents or guardians are asked to pay school fees in kind. What does it mean? Bring food, bricks, firewood, plant trees at the school, and contribute to lawmaking. This helped parents feel like they own the school and want their children to get more education. God-pleasing principles were instilled in them through the neighboring Church. Students from a distant home were built for temporary rooms out of sheets of galvanized iron so they could make the most of their time at school and change their life story.

It was a great pleasure to distribute Bibles to the students in this school!

To give a Bible to a child in need, donate through payroll: 518100, account: Marginalized.