Located directly off the Indian Ocean, in the Coastal region of Kenya is Kilifi County.
Life in Kilifi County, Kenya:
- One in three girls is pregnant before 18.
- 13,000 girls leave school each year.
This leads to immediate abject poverty. These girls and their babies are left with no hope of getting out of the cycle of extreme poverty.
Desperate for food and a safe place to sleep. Often turning to prostitution or falling into traps of sex trafficking as their only means of survival.
According to the Joshua Project, Kilifi County is a group of people unreached by the gospel.
500,000
UNSAFE, ILLEGAL ABORTIONS HAPPEN IN KENYA EACH YEAR
13,000
KENYAN GIRLS DROP OUT OF SCHOOL EVERY YEAR DUE TO PREGNANCY
39 out of 100
MOMS DIE FROM PREGNANCY RELATED CAUSES.
For young moms in Kenya, pregnancy is worse than HIV. With HIV they have counseling and other services available to help them. But with pregnancy, there is no help, no hope. They believe their lives are over.
They’re removed from family and school, and there’s nowhere to turn to for help, advice or anything.
Many girls try other methods of terminating pregnancy, like drinking bleach, in hopes of ending the pregnancy.
Meet "Cindy"
“Cindy” was heading to a great place in school among the top of her class when a young motorbike driver lured her in with his lies and sexually assaulted her.
She became pregnant and her family abandoned her. She was desperate and alone, with nowhere to go.
“Cindy” was one of the first girls to enter our program. She came defeated and afraid.
Cindy’s mom was being paid by her perpetrator to not turn him into the police. The man that assaulted and got Cindy, did the same thing to 28 other young girls that the police were aware of!
We were able to prosecute him and get him off the streets.
Meet “Faith”.
At just 14 years of age, her family abandoned her when she was sexually assaulted at school and became pregnant. Faith was begging at the roadside because of being poor.
She met a man who seduced her. The man in her words was friendly at first but ended up wanting sexual relations from her for his kindness.
Mercy’s Light Family transforms lives of young girls in pregnancy crisis and have been through sexual trauma.
Saving the young moms and their babies from likely death, moving them spiritual discipleship, counseling, vocational training, business creation, and true life.
“When we opened in August 2018, there were no centers helping young moms in the North Coast region of Kenya.”
YOUR SUPPORT PROVIDES:
Your financial support provides a three year training program which leads to self sustainability through small business ownership within Kenya.
* Year one consists of extensive counseling, medical care, and basic education. They learn basic vocational skills, which include beading, tailoring, cooking, and baking. As they adjust to motherhood, they learn to dream.
* Year two consists of continuing year one and adding intensive vocational skills training.
*Year three consists of financial, educational and income building training.
The mothers will learn to start a business while they’re at our center. Preparing them to move out with their baby and support themselves.
Your financial support is crucial to making this happen!
God's vision:
SUPPORTED By:
Meet Carrie
Mercy’s Light Family is a vision of Carrie Reichartz it’s the founder and director. Birthed out of her own sexual trauma and early pregnancy instilling a knowing and passion to help others overcoming in these areas.
CARRIE’S PASSION – PART 1 2008
I set foot in Kenya for the first time in 2008. Never had I wanted to travel outside of the United States as there was plenty to do in the US.
How could I find such kind-hearted, grateful people surrounded in dire poverty? They had no food, no water, no school and sometimes, no hope. Love and heartbreak at the same time.
This is where I began my story to follow my passion.
Please join in me in my story to Heal the World by donating today at here.
Want to hear or read Carrie’s full story, grab your copy of From Lawyer to Missionary: A Journey to Kenya and Back Again by clicking the image below.
