Kenya (MNN) — After the overwhelming passage of Kenya's new
constitution last week, ministries are now looking ahead to what this means for the future of the country and its citizens.
Though many Christians openly opposed several clauses for
this new constitution, Kids Alive International in-country
director Njeri Ndung'u is focusing on the positive and forward steps this means for the
country.
Ndung'u said it's been a long, strenuous journey for the
country to get to this point: "This is a really historical moment for most
of us here that are working with Kids Alive, especially for our children who
are able to vote for the very first time. And also, [I] am very excited to be
part of this historical moment. Kenya has been trying to get a new constitution
for the last 20 years."
In recent months, Ndung'u admits there has been a lot of
"hullabaloo," chaos, and misconceptions surrounding last week's vote.
However, Kenyan women and children now have more rights and a greater voice.
One advantage to this new law is that if parents died and left
land to their children, under the previous constitution the children could not
have that land until they came of age, and others may have confiscated it
before that time. Now, they can own land and begin to create a future full of hope for
themselves. They can do so with the help of organizations like Kids Alive, as
Kids Alive can only support so many orphans in their children's homes anyway.
With more rights and freedoms in the future, Kids Alive is
hoping they will be able to reach out to even more children and introduce them
to Christ, the Protector of their futures.
Additionally, Ndung'u said Kids Alive plans to teach the women
and children they care for about the new constitution, so that they can be well-informed citizens and contribute to society now and in the future.
Will the new constitution bring peace? Will strife
between varying tribes finally come to an end? Ndung'u said since the vote, "There
has been peace, and we have seen the hand of God speak through our leaders,
speak through the electorate race."
Ndung'u thanks everyone who has prayed for peace in Kenya and
asks them to continue to pray with her: "We as Kenyans, and especially we in the
ministry, are praying for peace and praying that God's will be
done."
