The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” - Deuteronomy 31:8
In the poorest of the poor communities, it is not uncommon for girls as young as 12 years old to be given in marriage. In some situations, this occurs when families are financially desperate and in others it’s because of a cultural expectation that girls should get married young. Pray for our African leaders to be courageous in running towards the problem and speaking on behalf of our girls. Pray that they will be bold in sharing the gospel. Pray for each young girl who has been and still is a victim to childhood marriage. Pray that they will experience the love of Christ and the freedom that only He can bring.
Rebecca is pictured back left
Across Africa, there are men and women committed to speaking into the cultural practice and dangers of girls marrying at a young age. Kupa Kwashe, Hands at Work Leader from Zimbabwe, shares a story of Rebecca*, a girl in Mozambique and how the Care Workers and the local Hands at Work team in Chimoio, Mozambique, fought to ensure that she didn’t enter into childhood marriage.
“Rebecca grew up living in Matsinho Community with her grandmother and three siblings. She was one of our children coming to the Care Point. As Rebecca got older, the Care Workers started hearing that she was entering into unhealthy lifestyles and were concerned for her wellbeing. They heard that she had entered into an early marriage with another young man from the community. Understanding the dangers of early marriage, the Care Workers and the Chimoio team went to talk with Rebecca and her grandmother. Speaking out of love and concern, they shared how Rebecca was too young to be married and needed to go back to school. Rebecca understood the message and what was being shared. She went back to school and even started coming back to the Care Point. We are grateful because she took our advice and waited until she was 18 to get married.”
#40Days2022