This is a sad story, but so true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
There was a little girl named Ruth, born in 1985. She lived in Nairobi with her mother. The father was nowhere to be seen; probably he had taken off when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant. The girl’s mother dies, so the neighbors send Ruth back to her home area, hopefully to be cared for and raised by some extended relative. That effort failed, however. Ruth didn’t know these people, and they hated her since she was probably an illegitimate child. “Who knows,” they thought, “maybe she is even of mixed blood, her father being from another tribe!” Most likely, her home area was poor and they already had too many children to look after, so Ruth took the back seat in everything and was possibly lucky to even get some leftovers. So Ruth ran away…..back to Nairobi…….back to the streets.
Some time later, back in Nairobi, when found to be out of school and scrounging through the garbage, the city officials took her from the streets to a rehabilitation home for “kids like her.” She lived there until she was 16. When she was there, she came to like a certain boy, Charlie. Ruth and Charlie left the rehab and began living together as man and wife. Soon, they had a boy, George. Soon, a little girl came on the scene, but she didn’t live long. Soon, another little girl was born, Susan. Soon after, twin girls were born, Alice and Angela. Alice died. George and Susan are now 8 and 4. They are sent to the streets every day to beg and steal. George was sent by some “well wishers” to a nearby mission school – but Ruth thought that was a waste of time since it didn’t bring anything into the home, so she burnt his school uniform so that he would go back to the streets. In the mean time, Ruth herself is addicted to the most readily available drug – glue. She is pretty much depending on her kids to bring in the goods from the streets, since she is out of it and trying her best to take care of the little baby, Angela. It wasn’t working.
The City officials decided that Angela should be taken from her and they sent her to a nearby baby organization for care and protection. They decided the same about George – he needs to be in school and since Ruth won’t let him, they have to find a Home for him. The question to be asked at this point is, where does that leave Susan? Is a four year old any less vulnerable than the eight year old or the one year old? Mother and daughter left to the streets to take care of each other. Who is taking care of who? How long before Susan is also left, just like Ruth was when she was a child?
I tell you this story to make you mad, to make you cry, to make you want to help a child. It did that for me – I hope it does it for a thousand more people! Mom Stern heard from the Lord in 2001
Lamentations 2: 11-12, 19:
11 My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within,
my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed,
because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.
12 They say to their mothers, “Where is the bread and wine?”
as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city,
as their lives ebb away in their mother’s arms.
19 ARISE, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin;
pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.
Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children,
who faint from hunger at the head of every street.
This is the reason KKV was born……it is the same reason we need MORE help. Cry with us! Molly Stern