Abused, disowned, and on her own, one girl found hope and a new life through Mully Children's Family.

It's children like these, and the work being done by Mully Children's Family (MCF), that have encouraged Winnipegger Arvid Loewen to ride.

MCF is a collection of homes and schools in Kenya that seeks to reach out and minister to less fortunate and vulnerable children.

The organization has now seen over 15,000 children cared for by their homes and schools over the past 29 years.

One of these children, Faith Achieng, 17, was saved from life on the streets last year by MCF with her now two-year-old son. The second-eldest of four siblings, Achieng and her family lived in poverty after her father passed away when she was only three.

"We faced some challenges because our... home fell apart," Achieng shared. "We lacked food, we lacked clothes, healthcare."

These circumstances forced Achieng's mother to seek assistance through remarriage to a man who did not want to care for kids.

Achieng was sent to live with her grandmother, and individual not equipped to meet her needs. Soon after, Achieng dropped out of school.

She returned to classes after discussions with her head teacher, however, the young girl soon found that she needed to find work if she was to pay for her education.

"I had no one to depend on, so I just looked for a job that I could do so I could get the school fees," said Achieng. She was 13-years-old when she found a position working weekends at a nightclub, continuing to attend her classes during the week. Her boss, though, soon demanded more of her time at work, and so at the age of 14, Achieng moved away from her family to be closer to her job.

Vulnerable and living alone, Achieng's difficulties continued after moving away from home.

"At work, a man took advantage of me and he told me that he would take me to school and also provide for me so I could stop working," shared Achieng. "I was in grade eight. Second semester, I realized I was pregnant."

When she told the man, he disowned her. Achieng quickly returned home to her mother, whom she stayed with until she delivered her son, Maxwell.

Despite her pregnancy, Achieng still completed her grade eight education. But following the birth of her son, she found herself alone once again, in some ways more than ever.

"I was abused [by my] family, I was abused through the community, I lost friends, I lacked self-esteem, and also I became hopeless," the girl shared. Without enough money for food, clothes, or healthcare, life was extremely difficult for Achieng.

It was during this time that Achieng was encouraged to share her struggles with those from MCF, and she was asked to come to the Yatta Girls home, one of MCF's branches for young mothers and girls who have been sexually abused.

"By God's grace, I was rescued by Mully Children's Family, where I got a chance to learn some of the skills... that help me make a better life for me and my family."

Hairdressing, knitting, and clothing design are just a few of the skills Achieng has been able to learn during her time at MCF, and she hopes now to become a cosmetologist in order to create a sustainable life for herself and Maxwell, as well as give back to her community. 

"I will open my own business with this beauty spa. There I will be able to train some girls... then also I will be able to employ others," says the 17-year-old, gratefully.

"I will be able to feed my baby."

Her faith, Achieng says, has become an extremely important portion of her life since being brought to MCF. "It's helped me a lot, because if I come up against challenges, I just pray that God can help me."

Ndondo Mulli, daughter of Dr. Charles Mully, the founder of MCF, says the sustainability of MCF comes from the basis of faith.

"Whenever a child comes, it is critical that you let them know their value in Christ," says Mulli. "A lot of our society right now, all around the world, is falling apart, because people don't know their worth... they end up depressed, they end up committing suicide, they end up losing identity."

People's value is critically defined in the Bible, Mulli shared, and God has created everyone for a reason.

"That is what we see in the children that come into our doors. No matter what background they've come from, even if they've been living in the streets, even if they've been incarcerated... we see what God sees in them."

Forgiveness, too, coming from children who have been abused and beaten, is a remarkable quality MFC sees in it's children. "We help them to understand that the strongest force you can have in life to drive you is to forgive," Mulli explained. "Forgiveness is a spiritual thing.

"Once they forgive, life just comes... you cannot think of your future if you have not dealt with your past."

It is this biblical basis, love, and a commitment to seeing those ignored by the rest of society, that has allowed MFC to flourish as it has, Mulli says.

"It's just loving and having faith in God. Every day is a walk of faith."

Arvid's 2018 ride for MCF will take him from northern Canada all the way to Key West, Florida. You can follow his 7,200 kilometer ride to collect water from the Gulf of Mexico here.