It’s sweltering 91 degrees today. The hot weather has been unrelenting since I arrived in Kenya. It is hot, windy and dusty, but I’ll keep the griping to a minimum because I am addressing friends who are still in the throes of winter. This harsh climate, which goes on for much of the year, reminds me of the life of the rural girl in Kenya. Many (not all) rural parents raise their children military style, where they bark commands like: “What are you still doing in bed?” or “Go and fetch some water!” or “Make sure there is enough firewood by the time I get home!” Many of these girls relate to their parents only in terms of work. A girl must be useful around the house. She must learn the art of cooking, cleaning, and caring for younger siblings and of course must be subservient to authority at all costs. This kind of upbringing, many rural parents believe, prepares the young woman to be a “good wife,” that is obedient and subservient to her husband. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for honoring and respecting one’s husband, that’s biblical, … up to a point.
We take so much for granted. A parent’s hug, words of affirmation, a comforting and loving arm around the shoulder, an approving smile that says, “I love you,” or “I am proud of you.” Many of these girls don’t know any of these ordinary expressions of love. With God’s help, Esther’s Hope Ministries wants to change that through our Family Foundations Curriculum. We pray that these young girls will learn the art of loving and affirming their own children rather than just using them as cheap labor.
As I watch these smart and talented students at Cardinal Otunga Girls’ Secondary School writing their biographies, I am struck by their collective timidity. Lydia raises her hand ever so slowly, to ask a question, but she does so with the air of someone who expects to be reprimanded or punished. I ask Lydia what she wants to be when she graduates from college, she whispers in a barely audible voice, “a lawyer.” I say, “Could you repeat that, I didn’t quite hear you.” She whispers once more, “a lawyer.” I ease off, it is obvious that right now she’s not ready to declare her ambitions to the world, but we’ll get her there over the next three years, through the Esther’s Hope Ministries Fitness Curriculum, which mentors young women to be assertive as they discover who they are in Christ.
Esther’s Hope Ministries starts with education because we believe that, “If you educate a woman, you education a nation (Anonymous).” But education is not the end of the story for us. We believe that our highest calling is to be fishers of men. As my pastor back in Grand Rapids once reminded us, “If the end product is not Jesus, it is not worth doing.” Therefore, by caring, loving and mentoring we hope that many, if not all the girls we serve, will be drawn to the light of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3: 23-24)."