Jane's Story
Jane has grown up being told she was cursed by God. Born with severe Autism, she can't speak or care for herself. Jane lives in a rural area of Kenya and spends all day at home.
She is left alone as her siblings and cousins go to school and the adults work herding cattle. From the threshold of her house she watches other children play and have fun - something she has always been left out of.
For a girl of her age, Jane looks gaunt and lifeless. Friendless and neglected, she is lacking nutrition, hygiene, clothing and care.
Her family see her as a life-long liability they wish they never had. Although they love Jane, they do not see any value in sending her to school for the bother of taking her everyday and the challenges she would face - being mocked by other children among them.
Worse than being mocked at school however, are the horror's Jane experiences at home. Jane's house is situated next to a busy route into the hills.
Horrendously, many men will wait until Jane's family have left for the day and then come past and rape her.
Jane's mother says:
"Jane can't tell me what has happened, I just know something's wrong because she's screaming and crying and nothing will calm her down"
It's quite impossible to know how many different men have sexually abused Jane, let alone how many times. Even more terribly, these men are never held to account because no-one knows who they are.
The story doesn't end there for Jane.
"One day she didn't seem right. I took her to the Nurses Quarters and they told me she was pregnant"
Jane's pregnancy was not filled with baby showers, gender announcements or hospital visits. Instead it was filled with terror and confusion as her family tried in vain to explain to her what was happening to her body. Jane gave birth to a daughter at home - Jacqueline. She also has special needs. She is now left to raise a child when she can barely look after herself.
You would hope that the horror would end there for Jane, but unfortunately the cycle continues. She is still raped and abused, and without any intervention, her daughter will eventually face the same fate.
CMEP met Jane when her daughter was 1 year old. Her family told us her story, and we couldn't help but be moved by it. In fact, it caused sleepless nights for a very long time. We knew that we had to help Jane, and the many others like her.
And so, CMEP's House of Hope was born. A place where Jane and Jacqueline can go and escape the sexual abuse, and also receive love and care vital to her development.
CMEP hasn't secured long term funding for House of Hope and Jane's future is currently on the line. If you could assist in the funding of this project, please get in contact with us.
This is Jane today -
flourishing and enjoying life!
