Esther and Esther Naini

On our last day with Hellen, we stopped by the school to say goodbye to Dorcas, third grade teacher, Mary, the vocational training teacher, Rose, the school’s first elementary teacher and Esther, a girl Hellen rescued in 2002 from early marriage and FGM. Recently Esther told Hellen that she had decided to return to her village to be given in marriage. Hellen was flabbergasted. In order for a Masai girl to marry within the tribe she must go through circumcision; unless a woman goes through that rite in this culture, she isn't considered clean. Why, having been rescued and having received an education, did she change her mind? Esther finally shared that her parents had threatened that if she did not submit to the ways of the tribe all her siblings would die.

Hellen knows about this kind of threat because her own family had threatened her in the same way; “They told me that if I didn’t come back to get married I’d die by sunset. I’m still alive.”

Esther wants to be a nurse. Until God provides the next step, Esther continues to board at Hellen’s school and helps in the vocational training center.

We met Esther Naini (pictured) before we left Tepesua. We stopped at Hellen’s village so Jim could purchase a Masai warrior’s shield and spear. As our honorary Masai warrior and only man who was man enough to travel with four women, he deserves to have one.

Esther Naini is another of Hellen’s first rescued girls and is an activist for justice, particularly for Kenyan women. While Esther Naini wants to become a lawyer, she composes poems and songs. Before we left, she recited a poem she had written—a personal testimony of her direction and dreams for the future. And then she sang a song she had composed—quite simply a song about coming to our God to offer her love and thanks.

We are discovering that Kenya is a jewel in Africa and in the world. But the nation is burdened with multiple troubles, disease andinfant mortality among them. At this time there is a campaign abroad urging children to wash their hands. 12 million Somalian refugees have come to Kenya for help--as if there isn't enough need already. Some confess that they don’t have hope for the nation to ever move forward.

But Esther and Esther Naini might disagree.

(Pictured from left to right are Esther Naini, Hellen, Phillip and Wuama, Hellen's adopted son. Hellen had to keep a close on on Wauma because we wanted to take him home with us!)