FAMILY NEWS: December 2022 / Christmas in Kenya, shopping, & safari
With the start of a new year, I want to start something new and aim to send a monthly update to our amazing community. I am so grateful for each of you and the various ways you continue to be engaged in Just1— whether through regularly reading our emails, donating, praying, or interacting with us on our socials. Every form of connection and engagement means the world to us and is felt by our small team! Some updates may be shorter than others, but my aim is to keep you updated in a more personal way, as well as share current needs and prayer requests.
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Conjestina’s story: Her childhood trauma, rescue and healing
What’s a powerful predictor of health outcomes later in life? Childhood trauma. That’s according to Katie McLaughlin, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Harvard University. “Not only mental health outcomes like depression and anxiety,” she says in a recent press release, “but also physical health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.” Our girls at the Safe House in Kenya know about childhood adversity all too well…
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Highlights of our Kenya 2020 trip
For the last couple of months, I’ve wanted to share pictures and a recap of our trip to Kenya back in November 2020. Sharing more about our trip is very important to me because I want all of you to be able to see the Just1 mission come to life. This trip was significant, and without you, it would not have been possible. Here are some of my favorite things about the trip.
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Ending emotional violence — how a miracle transformed Margaret’s despair into hope
Emotional violence. It might not be a term you’re familiar with. But it’s something people all over the world deal with every day.
All types of emotional abuse fall under this label — being called bad names, being humiliated on purpose in front of others, being made to feel unwanted or being threatened with abandonment. And it’s a major problem among women and girls in Kenya.
In fact, 1 in 4 women in the 2010 Kenya Violence Against Children Study reported experiencing emotional violence before the age of 18. The 2019 Kenya Violence Against Children Survey looked into the perpetrators more closely. About 7% of the women surveyed experienced emotional violence from a parent, adult caregiver or adult relative during childhood…
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Rebekah vs. the shadow pandemic: COVID-19 fuels violence in Africa, Just1 fights back
It’s been called the “shadow pandemic” of the COVID-19 crisis — violence against women and girls. According to a recent survey of African women, it’s on the rise.
73% reported a hike in intimate partner violence
51% mentioned sexual violence
32% indicated a surge in early and forced marriage
But while the pandemic has exacerbated the problem of violence in countries like Kenya, it can’t overshadow the power of people coming together to support one another…
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What keeps me from quitting
Running a non-profit is really hard. I want to quit more days than not. I started Just1 six years ago as a 21 year old with big dreams and very little experience (read our full story here). Wide-eyed and full of hope of all the ways I could help make a difference in the world, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. In time I realized running a non-profit wasn’t as glamorous as I thought. Many days I’m drowning in paperwork I don’t understand, having to face my fear of asking people for money over and over, and feeling so overwhelmed that all motivation is gone before I finish my morning coffee.
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Making a difference: Just1 child at a time - The Newnan Times-Herald
Newnan native works to end human trafficking at home and abroad. When Caitlin Crane was 14, she heard a story about a girl in India that would change her life forever. She was at a fundraiser for an organization that rescues girls from sex trafficking in India. The speaker talked about a girl who had been rescued who was the same age as Crane. Until that point, Crane said she had never heard of sex trafficking, and it shocked her that someone her age had been through something like that. “That just really planted a seed in my heart that over the next few years grew into a passion,” she said.
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