“The sound of the rooster crowing at 4 am is a wake-up call for eight-year-old Grace. She stirs from her sleep and jumps off her straw mat, being careful not to wake her brothers who are soundly sleeping on their small wooden cot. Grace has a job to do and it must be done before she can go to school. Her family is depending on her. She walks barefoot out into the darkness, her eyes slowly adjusting as she searches for a glimmer of moonlight. Picking up her plastic jerry can, she quickly begins her two-mile walk to the village’s only water source.
Although it is still dark, she is able to move quickly down the dusty path as she has traveled this road hundreds of times. Part of her quickness is her knowledge of the road; part of it is her fear of the darkness and what is lurking behind it. A few weeks ago, Grace was greeted by a stranger with wandering eyes. He offered her a honey bun if she would be his girlfriend. His dark eyes and toothless smile made her uncomfortable. She had heard the many stories from the girls in her village about being pulled into the maize field by a strange man.
But Grace knew that without water her family would not survive. So she kept walking. Grace filled her small jerry can with water. It was difficult to carry over the thorns and the walk home was uphill, but she kept going. As the sun rose she arrived at her house with just enough time to change into her school uniform and walk one-mile to her school. She could hardly keep her eyes open in class and her back and feet continuously ached from carrying the water. But she pushed through, knowing she would have to gather the water again in the evening. If she showed that she was no longer capable of this task, her family would no longer allow her to go to school. So she kept her fears quiet knowing that because she is a girl, this is her job.”
The story of Grace represents the reality of the lives of the many of the girls in Tharaka. Did you know that every day, women and girls around the world spend 200 million hours walking for unclean water? But we can do something to help. Will you help buy a girl a clean drinking water container? A $20 donation will buy one large plastic container for a family in Kenya to catch and store clean rainwater from the roof of their house. A gift of $200 will buy containers for 10 families. Donate Now.
International Day of the Girl Child is October 11, 2018. This is a day to remember the struggles faced by girls around the world and then to do something about it! Lets pray for the protection of these girls and help alleviate their suffering by buying them water containers! Donate Now.
Thank you for your support to help girls live a life of freedom! We are eternally grateful!
Sincerely in Christ,
Victoria McCarter
Director of Education
Each1 Feed1, International
“They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.” Psalm 107:19