Aside

Married by 14, mother by 15, abandoned by 16, back in 7th grade at 19

1456641_10152373887022818_116347521_nAfter three days of teaching a group of thoughtful, well-spoken teachers and church leaders in Bondo, Kenya, I was impressed. Where was the oppression I thought was supposed to be so prevalent in rural Africa? The women who stood up to talk during the training would have made the average American woman look mousy and timid–all of them seemed to speak with a confidence and passion I still struggle to muster. Am I okay standing in front? Is my outfit non-descript enough, my heels short enough that I won’t look taller than the guys on stage, won’t take up too much space? If I raise the whisper-soft tambre of my voice, will people find me brash and intimidating? Yes, I still struggle not to shrink, but these women seemed to have no problem claiming their space.

Then Domnic took me to meet Seline, one of the girls EFOGE sponsors so she can remain in school.

And oh, my heart.

Please watch the video. It is one girl’s story, but it’s also millions of girls’ story.

If you are interested in helping Seline and girls like her stay in school, please shoot me an email, and I will tell you how you can help.

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