Christine Awesit lives in Turkana, Kenya. A mother of four, she struggles to live and raise her children in the small village of Natoot. Christine shares, in her own words, her heartbreaking-turned-hopeful story with us:
“Some people in this county have never experienced hunger, but everyone in Natoot knows what hunger is, even our little children. We always look up to the county government, but no one is concerned about us. Not even one person. Our redemption comes from brooms, charcoal and firewood.
After collecting firewood, one walks with it around the town market. If no one buys, you will not have food that day, even the children will sleep on empty stomachs. But when children go to sleep hungry, they don’t catch sleep, why? Because children cry all night.
When morning comes you are not certain of where to find food. There is none, none completely. Waking up in the morning again, we go to the forest to burn charcoal and to fetch firewood. And maybe the ones you left at the market have not been sold yet, they are still laying there; you get back home empty-handed. Again the children go to sleep without food, and you yourself too.
We sleep on empty stomachs every day, that is how we live.
But little did we know that God does not sleep, the God of Israel never slumbers. He has remembered us; with this farm He has really remembered us. The people of the county have not remembered us, but God used someone from afar, He has remembered us in this farm.
We have faith that this farm will help us. When we see this farm, we are encouraged, and we work hard. Look at me, I am committed to learn about farming, to apply manure and to put up the pegs. Because I believe that once I harvest in this farm my life will be transformed. I will never see hunger again; I will forget about hunger—even my children will forget about hunger; my children will attend school well.
Because God remembered us, the residents of Natoot village. God remembered us.”
