Protect, feed, and educate 114 rescued children

The shy little girl that runs to meet you as you enter the Centre has not always been this brave. When she first arrived at the Centre she would keep to herself and speak little even when spoken to. Many times she would be lost in thoughts and one would wonder what on earth she was thinking about. She would cry and other children would come to console her. Little by little the other children befriended her and played with her a lot.

Jenny (not her real name to conceal her identity), ran from home at only six years old after she was repeatedly sexually defiled by a close relative. She was too afraid to speak out since the relative had threatened her that he would harm her and also harm any one whom she told about the odeal. She was rescued from the streets by the County Children’s Department and brought to the Centre for custody, security, counselling and education.

She was counselled and helped to report her case to the authorities. It was not an easy thing to do given her age. She was so afraid. She had to be assured that the relative would not be able to hurt her as she feared.   It was initially difficult for Jenny to narrate her case, she says.

“However, Sister Emma assured me that nothing bad would happen to me and that the bad relative would be arrested by the police and would be punished and imprisoned, only if I told the whole story. Though I was afraid, I accepted and told sister not to leave me alone. She accepted to be by my side to ensure no one harmed me”.

The first day the court opened to hear her story, she was so afraid she could not utter a single word. She trembled and clung to Sister Emma who had accompanied her. The court had to be postponed to give her time to come to terms with the whole process and to understand what it meant. She had to undergo further counselling before she was ready to talk about her odeal in court.

With time Jenny eventually opened up and agreed to narrate her story in court. She was taken to the juvenille court in Kilifi where she was able to narrate her story in camera. The relative was later arrested and is now in police custody.

“I am glad that I can now play freely with the other children and I know that bad man will not hurt me again. I am also able to go to school. I feel very safe here since we are always together and there are no bad people, “ Jenny says softly. 

Thanks to you, our supporters who through Global Giving are giving protection and hope to Jenny and other children at the Grandsons Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.