It’s been a few months of change in the Neema Girls House, here in Kitale, Kenya. In January, we brought in two new girls and a new teacher.

Our new girls, Elizabeth and Loice (rhymes with noise) have been a warm welcome in to Neema’s. Elizabeth, age 16, comes from a remote village where education for girls her age doesn’t happen and being given away in marriage is the next step in life. Loise, age 15, ran away to the streets to escape the abuse of a step-parent. Both Elizabeth and Loice are very bright, respectful and work hard around the home and in school.

Our new teacher, Joan, is a retired primary school teacher from our community. She has brought so much life and self-esteem to the girls at Neema’s. She also has a background in guidance and counseling, which is what has contributed greatly to the positive self-esteem in these girls’ lives. They are learning their basic education and especially English at a quick rate. It’s been amazing to see the subtle positive changes in the girls.

One of our girls, Sarah, who has been with Neema’s since July 2008, when the program started, has been reunited with her family. Sarah visited with her family during the Christmas holidays and requested that she stay longer with them and after that time, she had worked things out with her family and wanted to remain at her home. This is a wonderful happy ending to our time with her.

This home isn’t just about getting girls off the street and getting them educated and teaching them a trade. It’s also about the healing and forgiving process; forgiving themselves and the one’s who may have hurt them in the past. This project does have it challenges but in the end, the rewards far outweigh the challenges.

- Meredith