My
dear friend George Okoth was born in 1979, in a remote east kenyan
Viallge calllled Suna -Migori which is very poverty stricken. His
mother was only 13 years when she had George as she was an oprhan and
married Georges father at the age of 12. Georges father was born in 1956
and was married to two wives as polygamy is accepted here.Because of
poverty the families had very little money and therefor childrens
education suffered terribly.
George was the first born of 8
children and therefore money was even more tight in 1985 George went to
prmarty school and as his family hgad to pay for this privalidge even at
a young age he found himself having to take time off of school, to make
bricks and weed to be able to pay for his own school fees.
George
was a very bright child at his exams he got 578 out of 700 and was told
he could enter National school but he couldnt affiord to go and had to
go to the more local secondary school instead whixch was called St
Peter's.
The first year his father had to sell a cow to oay the
school fee's which would have been a great sacrifice. But the following
year George had to leave for 6 months as he had to grow tobbaco to pay
for this years school fee and school uniform.
As the school was
10km away he had to walk there until he got himself a bike and even then
to make ends meat to pay for the feesw and books he had to use his nike
as a taxi. in 1998 his bike was stolen and so he couldnt go to school
again so he had to sell all his books to enrol in his school and begged
for his friend s for their notes so he could continue to learn. However
despite the fact that George hadnt been at school for the full year you
poassed and got very good grades. Grade 2
During this timne 24th
May 1998 george went to a crusade in Suna and gave his life to Jesus and
was born again because George had gone through somuch suffereing in his
shiort life of struggles at school.George told me that having to keave
school and work and always being in poverty made him feel embarresed,
disapointed, discourged, mistaken, insecure, worried, ovger burdened and
abndoned, forgetting his vision of changing other childrens lives.
,
When
George left grade four he had to work again to be able to buy his books
again and as pastor suggested that he go and join Community develpoment
assistnat an then he went to college for kindergraten school after
a district officer
my brotherr george
george
informed him of this college.
A year
he opened up his own nursery becaue he wanted to do away with
illiteracey and barbaric attitude.Duriong this time George was in the
church and was working along side the pastor in the church a trahslator,
When he statred the school the missionaries showed interest in the
school and supportred the orphans and teachers but the pastor was only
interested in the support of the chuch and then sent the missionaries
away,he didnt like George leading people to the lord and threatened
his life so George had to leave and escape to Mwanzhein Tanzania came
back in 2008, he started the church with the suport of his church and
family members they did with the mabubi church near nyabisawa
e3orge and hisbfamily
Joshua and George
Whilst
George was growing up his father wanted im to be a welder and wasnt
happy at his choice as being a school teacher, however in 1998 his
mother got saved and during this tiome when goerge had his own church
his mother helped and his father got saved last year and has offered to
buy the land where theyb can have a school and clinic
Through his
struggles and hearft ache he doesnt want to se other children to have to
go through all the struggles he has through poverty and lack of
rescources. He aslo is very keen to see justice for girls especially who
have to prostitute themselves for Sanitary towels and education. He has
a vision to have a clinic with medicine and equipment, and a hospital,
schools and buses for the villagers plus electric and wate suppply to
the village and even have a lap top to bhe able to contact people from
aroubnd the world and help other people.
Geiorge is a lovely ma of
God and a great team builder and he has mnay many talents and gifts and
as we said when we went to the mountain we agrreed that climbing it
like at the bottom yiou dont know whats going to hgappen how to start
and its tough at the start but if you just pace yourself and get to the
top, but most of all you have to have faith, getting to thw top isnt the
end you then have to back down the mountain which is trecherous.
But
lets pray that all the kids in Suna will have opportubniteis for
education and no more child sex trafficking prostitution and slave
labour which is terribly unjust and i prayb that our school children
will appreciate what they have in their free education as so many
chilkdren truant,and dont want to learn yet children in poverty
counbtries see education as a means to get out of poverty just like
Geiorge did.Looking into this its so unjust and ubnfair in pkaces like
Suna but its good to knownthat people lioke George are making a
difference o theior communities.
