Jennifer Khabele

Dear Friends,

Jennifer Khabele of Kakamega, Kenya has lived with polio since the age of five, making it impossible for her to walk without leg braces. To make matters worse, her parents died when she was fourteen, forcing her to live on the street.

One day, a local woman saw her plight and took her into her home. Her benefactor, however, made her living by brewing a cheap, illegal, and often poisonous liquor called “chang’aa.” Chang’aa—which literally means “kill me quickly”—is sometimes given an extra “kick” by adding substances like jet fuel, embalming fluid or battery acid. An unusually potent batch of chang’aa once killed over 130 people and hospitalized 500 more. Permanent blindness struck 20. In an effort to increase her profits, the woman trained Jennifer to brew the liquor as well.

One day, when Jennifer was alone in the house, a group of customers raped her. Not long afterwards she discovered that she was pregnant. It seemed that Jennifer had no hope of a better life.

Jennifer’s life began to change for the better, however, when a Heaven’s Family national missionary led her to Christ. At that time, Jennifer was providing for herself and small child by brewing and selling chang’aa, but she repented, abandoned her liquor brewing, and enrolled in a training program to learn the food business so that she could provide for herself and her daughter in a way that honors God.

Although Jennifer now has leg braces, walking is very slow and arduous. In order for her to operate her new grocery business and make it to church meetings, she has requested a hand-pedaled tricycle. We’re excited about helping our sister Jennifer provide a future for herself and her daughter!

In Christ,

CJ McDaniel
Director, Christians with Disabilities Fund