Keziah is a vulnerable young girl desiring safety for her life. She was abandoned when she was four years old when her parents left her with an older woman in the east end of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Keziah was abused sexually there, and the old woman did not fight for her. So she started a journey she had never dreamed of. Keziah began to sleep on the streets in old abandoned vehicles where her abuse issues continued. A few years later, she moved into Kroo Bay where she stayed with another granny who would send her out at night without anything saying, “Bring me something when you come back.” The grandma was implying that she should go have sex with men on the streets for money.
Time has flown and now Keziah is 13 years old. Because of some abuse, she endured in 2015 Salome Bangura (WMFSL Vulnerable Persons’ Protection Coordinator) helped take Keziah to a women’s shelter run by World Hope. Keziah stayed there for 11 months to receive proper counseling and rest. When she was released from the shelter, WMFSL community member Isaac Bala Bangura welcomed Keziah into his family home. Sadly the temptations of her former life drew Keziah away from school and healthy boundaries and she became very confused. Thankfully, Salome and the World Hope staff were able to find a placement for Keziah at the Children of the Nations Christian boarding school in a village far from Freetown where she is now stable.
Keziah, whose name means “beautiful,” is still struggling to find her true beauty. She does not understand what it means to be beloved.
Will you pray with us for beautiful Keziah? Her smile lights up a room. And, she is quite precocious. She will be a great instrument for God if we do not give up on her. Her testimony will challenge and encourage many people.