Many little girls dream of being princesses. These kids, who have suffered so much, are destined to be living as queens in a castle thanks to the kindness of strangers.
Rafiki Mwema – meaning “Loyal Friend” – is a nonprofit home that educates, houses, and cares for young Kenyan girls who have been sexually abused. The home where the children stay, however, fills up quickly. Girls who have grown into teenagers often end up having to go back to their villages without the emotional support they need.
When they heard the stories of teens forced to leave the home, 7,700 people around the world opened their hearts – and wallets – to make sure these girls could stay together.
In a GoFundMe page set up by Australian mom Sarah Rosberg, a goal of $75,000 was set to construct a second home designed specifically for the teenagers – fondly called the Queens – who had grown up in Rafiki. Over the course of just one short month, more than double that amount–$200,000–was raised for the new residence.
The new therapeutic center known as Queen’s Castle will offer a more developed program of healing with added support for the Rafiki teenagers. Some donators to the campaign have even offered to sponsor some of the young women in order to continue their therapy.
