RESCUING A CHILD- PART TWO ---LOOKING DEEP WITHIN MYSELF

This is a story that has to continue.....i learnt that her name was Margaret Gathoni. So she has a name like my daughter. That is lovely. I am wondering no longer why it rained and why i had to be there when she needed my help. Once again i am entertaining a stranger in my house. My husband is used to this by now. In fact its not just one but they are two. I dotnt know why i do it i just do.

Today i am going to be taking her to her home to meet her mother and father. it should be very interesting this one. At about 11am we board a matatu and head to Naromoro. I know you are wondering why i have taken interest ...maybe we will find that out. Everyone has a different perspective when it comes to the issues of life. We are headed to a place called Thome- apparently this lies in Laikipia but we have to go through Naromoru. We alight at the stage and are lucky enough to catch a vehicle that was just leaving. Did i mention i have my son with me (he is a blessing---yeah cant go alone ---you never know, and my neighbour's son as well).. We are in this car famously known as a box car where the driver makes sure we fit in almost 10 people. The kind of car when you alight everyone wonders if it had a hole where people were hidden.

Wow its really dry here but nothing will beat the feeling i got when i saw three girraffe and almost 10 real life rhino's. They are beautiful very beautiful. After a while we are here now. I can see our girl is excited to be setting foot on home soil. Maybe she is thinking like i am. We all need to know each other better. She is but a child even if she has attained the age of maturity according to the law. So young i cant imagine what would have happened to her had that old man had his way. On her face is the innocence of youth. She is practically skipping.

This is a real village with no real permanent houses. It is so dry i can hear myself walking and so windy i am glad i well fed. But the kids are having fun enjoying the new vegetation. My heart is in my stomach though as i am wondering what i have gotten myself into this time round. What is her family like? if my kids were in the same situation would someone be kind enough to take a step of faith and bring them home? We are here now.

I did not expect this but i got a genuine hug from the mother. She looks surprisingly young. Its a simple house that only a simple family could afford. I am grateful and thankful that i have what  i have. Not material things...no (although that is a plus) but my family. It is precious everyone of them including this young ones who pass by my hands. We are served and welcomed in the real african way with a big plate of food cooked out of an earthen pot. I am blessed.

Finally we get to reason why we are here. I have a hard task explaining why their only daughter would be found in such a place as she was. Arent we all decieved from time to time? whoever is not guilty should let us know. She is lucky that despite the bad intention from a fellow human being she may end up being helped. But i am sad they have no faith in her. From the fact that they opted to take the boy to highschool and took her to her grandmother. The girl child still secretly suffers in Kenya. She is left to be content with this.

The village here i have noticed has the younger population of girls between 15-19 with babies on their backs and alot of idle young men who have nothing better to do. It is sad really that no one thinks this girls should go beyond primary level education. Maybe someone should build a school and let this girls go back and make something of themselves. What will their young lives be 2 years from now? desparate, married or presumed so...with young to take care of and not much in terms of earning capacity because they dont know.

No i will fight for Gathoni. I cannot leave her here. I will fight to give her a better future away from this place. Maybe she may choose to make something of herself but i will give her a chance. After four hours i am able to convince the parents. They are a bit too happy to get her off their hands. I am thinking to myself , how do i get her back to school?

She has been an year out...... i call the assistant chief he is more than willing to help. He saw where we took her from...he too would like to participate by helping us get her a place in a local day high school. He does mention that this will take money. I promise myself i will try so the journey begins. I will start asking. WHO OUT THERE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HER A CHANCE......by the time next year comes it is my prayer maybe we will have found her a sponser. I make a mental note to visit the District office but its been so long she has been out of school that i dont know if they will give her a busary.

I am talking to my girl now and telling her not to loose the faith. If one door was opened then the others will open. I have never seen eyes so full of hope. She does not mind working as a house help for now. She is getting helped as my mother is a teacher and she looks determined. Maybe just maybe there is a dream out there that has just been rekindled. What would you do if your were in my shoes?