One afternoon, Eliza found herself walking down one of the many dirt tracks connecting the rural communities scattered throughout Kenya. She was carrying nothing, just the clothes she was wearing. Much worse, however, was the fact that she had nowhere to go. She was one of the unwanted girls of Kenya. Wandering not knowing where she was going, or what the future might hold. There was no one to care for her. No one to show her love. No one to tell her things would be okay. No mother. No father. No grandparents. No friends. No mentors. No brothers. No sisters. Absolutely alone. Little did she know, her journey that afternoon would change her life.
Sometime earlier Eliza’s mother had died and her father was unable to provide for her. She moved to live with her grandmother, but with time she too was unable to provide for Eliza. So she moved on to a relative, but was considered a burden, an unwelcome guest. There she was made to work fermenting alcohol from early in the morning to late in the night. All she did was work, day in and day out. Her dreams of going to school faded away. Finally, she had had enough. So she left — with nothing, just the clothes on her back. A young, beautiful, teenage girl — unwanted and alone. And so she wandered.
As she was walking along that dirt track she spotted a white man in someone’s home. She was intrigued and wondered if maybe he was a missionary who could help her. She decided to stay close by as she was too shy and afraid to approach the home. After a few days staying nearby, she mustered the courage to enter the home where she had seen the white man. She had found her new home. The home was that of Bro. Justus and Sis. Annette, a local Christadelphian couple that for over a decade has been transforming the lives of hundreds of children in the area. And so, Eliza was added to their family.
Agape in Action has been supporting the children under Justus and Annette’s care since 2007. Initially through the Child Sponsorship program and now through the Lela Home, the younger of these children are being cared for. The older young people, including Eliza, are residing in Kimbilio (Swahili for ‘refuge’), which is an ‘extension’ to the home of Justus and Annette that was completed by Agape in Action in 2009.
There are over 35 young people in Kimbilio; many have similar stories to that of Eliza. From troubled and tragic backgrounds, they have found new lives in this place of refuge. From being unwanted and unloved, they have found a family that truly cares. They are all in school or pursuing trades. Eliza has just completed her tailoring trade. These young people are connected to a wide network of Christadelphian youth in the area that form a vibrant part of the Kamakuywa ecclesia. In January 2010, eight of the young people in Kimbilio were baptized, including Eliza. Others continue to study and we pray that they too may also decide to become part of a very special family with a Father that will never abandon them.
Bro. Justus and Sis. Annette encapsulate the very spirit of Agape in Action. For the past decade, this couple has put their love into action on a daily basis by taking in over 100 orphaned and unwanted children and young people. They have given these young people much more than life and opportunity. They have given them a hope.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One