For the Least of These: Our Call to Protect Girls in Kenya
In Les Misérables, Victor Hugo paints a haunting picture of a little girl named Cosette—abandoned, abused, and treated as a burden by those meant to care for her.
She lives in fear, silence, and suffering—until Jean Valjean steps in. He sees her pain, lifts her out of it, and surrounds her with love, dignity, and protection. His act of compassion doesn’t just rescue her—it redeems her. Cosette becomes a living testament to what love, justice, and grace can accomplish in the life of a child.
Now imagine the Cosettes of our world today: not fictional, but very real little girls and women who long for and perhaps have never known compassion and protection. At Spread Truth, we have a unique ministry through our sister branch in Kenya, Spread Truth Africa, to reach little Kenyan girls who long for these very things. In Kenya, far too many young girls are enduring childhood marriage and the brutality of female genital mutilation (FGM). These are not just cultural practices—they are deep wounds inflicted on innocent lives. They are robbed of their childhood, their dreams, and sometimes their lives.
But we, as the Church—as the hands and feet of Jesus—have the awesome responsibility and the divine calling to step in, just like Jean Valjean did. We can be the ones who say, “No more.” We can be the ones who see their suffering and refuse to look away. As a ministry, we have the opportunity to come alongside these girls with the healing power of the gospel, to protect them, to advocate for them, and to show them what biblical justice looks like.
In Mark 14, Jesus told his disciples,
“Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” — Mark 10:14b (CSB)
He didn’t turn children away—He welcomed them, embraced them, and elevated them. That’s our example. That’s our mission.
Biblical justice isn’t just about punishing what’s wrong—it’s about making right what’s been broken. It’s about ensuring every little girl has what the rest of the world takes for granted: safety, education, freedom, and love. It’s about standing in the gap for those too small to stand on their own.
So let’s rise to this calling. Let’s redeem the time, rescue the hurting, and raise up a new story—one of restoration, protection, and the powerful, redemptive love of Jesus.
