KENYA: Sisters rescuing abused girls from the street

Religious Sisters have helped give hope and an education to young girls living on the streets of Nairobi who are at risk of exploitation and facing a grim future.

The Assumption Sisters of Eldoret “bond with” vulnerable girls, “visit them three days a week” and “work with their mothers as well, most of whom are on drugs”, Sister Caroline Ngatia told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

ACN has provided support – including scholarships for training courses for the Sisters – to help the congregation rescue the girls who belong to more than 60,000 families living on the streets of Kenya’s capital.

Sister Ngatia said: “When we bring the girls to the centre we start partnering with the mothers, and we take those who are willing to be rehabilitated to another organisation.

“Once they are rehabilitated, we empower them economically, and then we reintegrate the girls back with their families.”

She added: “Those who cannot be reintegrated with their relatives remain with us, so we take them to school, we pay for their school fees, and we do a lot of psycho-social support, because they are girls who have been sexually abused in the streets, girls who are infected with AIDS.”

She explained that, when given the opportunity, girls never choose to return to their previous lives – adding that, from her experience, it tends to be more difficult to keep boys off the streets.

She added: “When we manage to rescue these girls there is a total transformation to becoming a better person in society.

“We encourage them to take education seriously, because only education can break that cycle of poverty.”

ACN has also supported the Sisters with construction projects.

Superior General Sister Joyce Nyagucha Ontune said that the charity’s help has enabled the congregation “to be able to carry out their work.

“Because they are well trained, they can run the projects well and we can see the fruits.”

She concluded: “Your support is key in helping us to grow in our mission, with confidence.

“We even have other organisations asking us to run their homes, because ours are doing well, because the sisters are skilled.”