20 years ago Father Francis Riwa was tasked to build a church in Kenya. He is finally ready to make it happen.
What took him so long? He saw children dying and abandoned in the streets and asked the bishop “How can I build a church when children are dying in the streets?”
So instead of building a church, he built an orphanage. The children being abandoned were girls, often sold off by their families. Some had HIV/AIDS and in Kenya those children were left to die. Father Riwa has even paid dowries to rescue these girls from unwanted arranged marriages to much older men.
20 years later Father Riwa has over 1200 orphaned and abandoned children, 375 of them are girls living and thriving in the orphanage. About 250 of them are babies and toddlers with AIDS. He has recruited nuns to help care for the girls.
The girls receive an education, their health and safety is cared for and their spiritual life is full.
In Kenya prayer is part of life because they have no where else to turn. So they turn to God. At the orphanage, there is prayer in the morning and afternoon. The girls pray and give thanks that their home and health has come from generous donors who believe in the mission to uplift the girls, giving them education, safety and community.
With so many girls and no church nearby, Father Riwa is finally ready to build the church. Just like the orphanage, the church will serve as a safe space for prayer, worship, quiet reflection and fellowship for the girls and the community.
What took him so long? He saw children dying and abandoned in the streets and asked the bishop “How can I build a church when children are dying in the streets?”
So instead of building a church, he built an orphanage. The children being abandoned were girls, often sold off by their families. Some had HIV/AIDS and in Kenya those children were left to die. Father Riwa has even paid dowries to rescue these girls from unwanted arranged marriages to much older men.
20 years later Father Riwa has over 1200 orphaned and abandoned children, 375 of them are girls living and thriving in the orphanage. About 250 of them are babies and toddlers with AIDS. He has recruited nuns to help care for the girls.
The girls receive an education, their health and safety is cared for and their spiritual life is full.
In Kenya prayer is part of life because they have no where else to turn. So they turn to God. At the orphanage, there is prayer in the morning and afternoon. The girls pray and give thanks that their home and health has come from generous donors who believe in the mission to uplift the girls, giving them education, safety and community.
With so many girls and no church nearby, Father Riwa is finally ready to build the church. Just like the orphanage, the church will serve as a safe space for prayer, worship, quiet reflection and fellowship for the girls and the community.
Organisator
Consolata Society for Foreign Missions
Begunstigde