Naomi's story and the history of the baby rescue centre.

It started in 2006 when my parents and I went up to Turkana in response to the desperate famine taking place in the north of the country. This was the first time I had been to Kenya and asked to go after I heard about the famine and that children there were dying. We travelled by land rover from Kitale to Lodwar with my father driving. The journey was tough, dangerous and with many challenges along the way. Eventually after many hours and a stopover in Lodwar we reached the remote villages that were struggling from the famine. They we were able to take some food assistance given to us by the mission's branch of the Elim Church.

Mercy was the first child we helped from the village where the aunt handed over the child to me after an agreement from the elders. This was an extremely moving occasion witnessed by us all as the aunt who had been trying to suckle the baby from a dry breast passed Mercy to me. Hope was the second child we received on that same trip and we brought them both back to the former house which was under Hope For the Nations at that time. We remember the journey and how my Mum and I held those small babies on the return long journey from Lodwar back to Kitale. Bill was the third child to arrive a few days later.

Noel Alexander from Love Mercy was involved on the initial trip. We thank him for his continued interest and support for the mission. He visits the centre when he is in the area and is very impressed with the progress. (Naomi Koech)