Our Journey: New Beginnings Crisis Pregnancy Center

From Left Anne Otieno (Director),Faith and Nancy Gatimu

The burden to walk with young ladies who are going through a crisis pregnancy is a God-given conviction that began six years ago.

With a few friends, we have been praying for a while, that someone would open a center to cater for this need here in Eldoret, because the need for such a ministry here is great. In the meantime, we have been privileged to befriend, share our lives and grow in Christ together with several ladies who have or are going through crisis pregnancies. A crisis pregnancy is defined as a pregnancy which is neither planned nor desired by the mom, consequently becoming a personal crisis for her.

In 2015, we felt the Lord leading us to start the center we have been dreaming of-a scary, overwhelming responsibility! Yet God has emboldened us. Friends have encouraged us.

The current statistics prompt us to be part of the solution. Current statistics build the case for the great need in Kenya:

• 10 % of every pregnancy in Kenya is attributed to girls aged 15 to 19, mostly unmarried and attending school.
• Nearly half (43 %) of pregnancies in Kenya are unplanned and over 40% of unplanned pregnancies end in abortion.
• An estimate of over 460,000 abortions occur in Kenya annually, with 3,000 maternal deaths recorded resulting from abortions.
• Approximately 60% of women in Kenya have sexual intercourse before the age of 18.

Pro-Life Walk In Eldoret

These current statistics prompt us to be part of the solution. Women in a crisis pregnancy experience a great deal of emotional stress, spiritual instability, financial worries, disruption of academic pursuits (including many dropping out of school) and stigmatization in society among many other negative effects. The Rift Valley region leads the nation with the highest number of abortions performed annually. Incidences of death or health complications after failed attempts at abortions have also increased. For instance, do you know that on record, 460,000 abortions are procured yearly in Kenya, with the Rift Valley leading with 38,687 incidences? And these are just the recorded cases, meaning there are much more abortions procured countrywide.

Pro-Life Walk

Speaking to a nurse in town recently, I was informed that some doctors collude with students who require abortions. The doctors administer drugs that they know will induce bleeding later, at which point the student comes back to the hospital bleeding to justify the need to carry out the abortion. It is increasingly common to find dead fetuses dumped by the river bank close to a hostel where many college-age students stay. We cannot help but wonder if, given the right counsel and support, these girls who consider their pregnancies as crises would opt to keep their babies and not abort.

God has enabled us to start the center- an answer to many prayers. New Beginnings Crisis Pregnancy Center; a ministry of our parent organization African Christian Outreach (A.C.O) We seek to offer biblical, holistic restoration to ladies who are or have gone through crisis pregnancies.

Our center offers services to ladies who are going through or have gone through a crisis pregnancy in the following ways:

Counseling: We have a team of trained staff and volunteers who offer Biblical based crisis counseling, post-abortion counseling, and general counseling.

Bible Studies: We use passages from the Bible and relevant study material to lead the ladies we work with back to Christ for their restoration. Recognizing that it is only Christ who can bring about true healing, hope and wholeness, this is a fundamental part of the process we walk ladies through.

Life Skills: These include crafts, basic tailoring, money management, basic cooking skills, health and nutrition and housekeeping. These skills are geared towards enabling the ladies to be adaptable, responsible and competent in tackling day-to-day obligations.

Preventive Programs: To be pro-active and not just react to the crisis, we offer abstinence programs, community outreach and advocacy for the sanctity of life.

 and classes on birth and parenting

Official Launch

The center also offers pregnancy tests, Ultrasounds, discipleship, birth and parenting classes, referrals to medical doctors, community awareness among many other services. We got an office space in Pioneer Estate (Eldoret Town) You can assist our cause by  praying for us, volunteering your services (we need different resource people including doctors, nurses, counselors, lawyers, mother, fathers, volunteers) Other needs are educative resources, office stationery, cash donations, furniture, baby clothes, cribs, toys and anything else you feel can assist our cause.

                                                                         




                                                                                             By Anne Katumbi Otieno 

To contact us if in need, for more information, or to share with us your insight:

Email:                                                 aco.newbeginnings@gmail.com

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram:   @NewBeginsCPC

Like our page on Facebook:                New Beginnings, Crisis Pregnancy Center

Website:                                             africanchristianoutreach.com/new-beginnings/

Call us:                                                             0780 733 288