2025 CONFERENCE MISSION PROJECT
The Jerri Savuto Girls Center
Our 2025 Mission Project has been carefully selected by your Leadership Team. Located far beyond the borders of our large new conference, our support can make a big impact and change lives.
The Jerri Savuto Girls Center is a safe haven for girls between the ages of 7 and 18 escaping forced marriage and genital mutilation in western Kenya. The mission began in 2020 as a partnership of women in Kenya, United Women in Faith in what is now the Horizon Texas Conference, and the family and friends of Jerri Savuto. There are now 72 "Jerri Savuto girls" with a loving place to live, go to school, and thrive.
The shelter was named for Jerri Savuto, a long-time missionary and a passionate, love-filled woman of God. She was an active member of United Methodist Women who encouraged and mentored women around the world and retired to North Texas. While serving in Kenya she supported the Alternative Rite of Passage Programs that helped save girls from early marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
In less than four years the Jerri Savuto Girls Center was constructed with bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen. The girls attend primary and secondary schools. They are healthy with good school reports. They are learning life skills by doing chores, helping in the kitchen, and simple gardening. Local traditions continue the common practice of taking girls through FGM rituals and forced child marriages to old men, so girls continue to escape and find their way to the Jerri Savuto Girls Center for refuge.
CLICK TO EXPERIENCE THE RECENT VISIT TO THE JERRI SAVUTO CENTER FOR GIRLS HERE
HOW TO SUPPORT THIS MISSION PROJECT:
Now that the girls have a safe center to call home, the priority is to build a security fence to keep them safe from those who could come and force them to return to unsafe situations.
2025 Mission Project Goal
$20,000
for Security Fence
Once we've met the goal to build the Security Fence, donated funds given will go to the ongoing needs of the girls for food, clothing, health care, school tuition, utilities, and staff salaries.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
• Plan a program (in-person or virtual) about the Jerri Savuto Girls Center. Contact Cynthia to schedule a speaker for your group.
• Read about this mission in the
May/June edition of Response magazine. The vision was built in less than four years. It is a powerful description of JS Center and how it is making a lot of impact! Click to read the 2-page article here.
https://uwfaithhtc.org/js-response
• Share this story with your circle, Sunday School class, or UWF group. Thanks to HTC UWFaith member, Cynthia Rives (FUMC Denton) who wrote the article. Contact Cynthia with your questions or to arrange for a speaker for your group.
• Read about FGM from a girl's view -this book is on the UWFaith Reading Program list.
12332*_*2025 MISSION PROJECT DONATIONS
