Tuesday, 27 September 2011

George's Story by Elaine Waterfield

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Facebook note by Elaine Waterfield on Saturday, 24 September 2011 at 19:52
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
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.

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