Girls' Education and Rescue Centers in Kenya - March 2022 Update
The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) supports a ministry rescuing girls who might be forced into early marriage by providing rescue centers for them. The Outreach Foundation partners with the PCEA and civil authorities in this ministry. All of the rescue centers are connected to a PCEA boarding school, offering the girls a hopeful future. Lauren Scharstein, Outreach global worker and Deputy Director of Mission for the PCEA, shared the current major needs of the rescue centers:
New Dorm for PCEA Mother Esther Girls' School and Rescue Center
We currently have 175 girls under our care ranging in age from 6 to 17 years old. Our dormitories are at full capacity, some girls already sleep two on the bottom of a twin bunk bed. The big need for a new dormitory is also due to the fact that we have 25 girls who will finish 8th grade in March and move into high school.
Stella is 16 years old and finished the 8th grade at Mother Esther School in March 2022. She is one of the top students in her class academically, and she plans to start attending high school in May.
When Stella was a young child, her father married a third wife. When Stella’s mother objected, he abandoned her and her seven children. They have faced significant financial challenges since then, as Stella’s mother did not receive any formal education or vocational training. In December 2021, Stella’s father accepted a payment of cows and goats as a dowry for Stella’s marriage. Stella is now unable to even visit home due to the risk of her father giving her away in marriage, by force if necessary.
Girls like Stella find hope and empowerment at Mother Esther School; they find a community that embraces them and encourages them to dream about the future they want for themselves. Mother Esther School proclaims that every child is made in the image of God, and they deserve the future of hope and possibility that God intends for them.
Our dormitories at Mother Esther School have reached capacity, and we are in urgent need of a new dormitory. The new dorm will be a place of safety and comfort for our older girls to come back to, even as they grow and move forward with their education.
High School Scholarships
We support 28 girls who have been rescued from child marriage and are attending various high schools - the cost of educating one girl is approximately $600 per year. Any amount of support will help us with this program.
Rescue Center in Marsabit
We have received a request from one of our ministers in the Marsabit Mission Area to start a new rescue center. He works among three different groups of pastoralists (cattle/sheep farmers) - the Samburu, Borana, and Rendille - who all practice child marriage and FGM. The church has been taking steps to raise awareness about these issues, and he needs a safe place for girls to be cared for.
Maparasha Greenhouse
This is not technically girls' rescue, but more women's empowerment. The Outreach Foundation supported the construction of a greenhouse for the Naretoi women's group last year, which has been a huge success. We have another Maasai women's group asking to do the same type of project. The Outreach Foundation helped drill the borehole in this area that would allow the greenhouse project to flourish.
PCEA Sirai Primary School
This is a school for the Samburu community, a group of pastoralists who practice FGM and child marriage. We currently need two new classrooms.
Health Clinic for PCEA Mother Esther School
We are building a health clinic at Mother Esther School which will serve the students and the local community. The idea is to first give our girls access to good healthcare and to also educate them about mental and physical wellness. We also plan to have the health clinic serve as a source of empowerment for women in our community with classes on nutrition, physical + mental well-being, and other areas that can help in daily life.
Scholarships for PCEA Silanga High School
Silanga High School is a day school in Kibera slum in Nairobi. It is a co-ed school, but it is particularly the girls who come from vulnerable situations. Almost all come from single-mother or orphaned backgrounds; many live with relatives or guardians who cannot pay their school fees; many of the girls eat their only guaranteed meal at school.
We have more projects in the works. Grateful for your partnership and prayers!
Blessings,
Lauren
Read more about Girls’ Education and Rescue Centers HERE.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts to support the mission and ministry of Girls’ Education and Rescue Centers in Kenya. All gifts of any size are welcomed to help build more classrooms and dormitories, build and supply each Linda’s Memorial Library, and provide scholarships to pay for the girls’ boarding and education. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.