I'll hold on to my virginity till marriage and I'm urging girls to remain pure as well

"I am the last born in a family of five. My parents are very religious, so I had a strict religious upbringing. Growing up in Nairobi, Kahawa West was fun as I was surrounded by loving parents who introduced us to church at a tender age and faith remains a significant part of my life.

I had a very strict father who always reminded me that I had to be different from my peers by doing what is right. My mother who is an ordained Reverend is very quiet, tough, and prayerful, and instilled the virtues of patience, love, and kindness which are still valuable to me. My parents are my heroes and they support me a lot. 

I am in my mid-20s and I have chosen to pursue sexual purity. My mother has encouraged this choice. But my decision was not for my mother, father, or society, but for me. The idea of having sex with your spouse is ideal, beautiful, and freeing.

However, in modern society, the decision to hold on until marriage is frowned upon. Since my teen days, I have had to constantly defend my decision to abstain from curious friends. It's a hard task. However, I choose to be different and encourage others to pursue purity. God's word is clear that it is His will for us to remain sexually pure. As far as I am concerned, sex, love, and marriage should go together. 

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At 13, I started learning about sex. We learnt about unwanted pregnancies, rape, and sexually transmitted diseases. I recall an incident then, when a girl shared with me how her boyfriend tied her up with a rope and broke her virginity.

This was so traumatising that when I went back home, I remember kneeling beside my bedroom and sobbing for hours. I could not understand why her boyfriend chose to hurt her. With that event in mind, I took a paper and made a vow to God to observe sexual purity until marriage and get many girls to do the same.

Daily, I practice what I preach to the world. To avoid temptation, I avoid watching erotic movies as I focus on the inspiration that enhances growth in my calling. I love reading and writing.

I wanted to do more, so in 2016, I started the Purity and Justice Foundation which creates awareness to young people aged 12-30 about sexual purity. I am aware that many girls will have had sex by the time they are in their mid-20's.

One of the challenges is walking with them after they have been sexually active. But there have been amazing results, where many have embraced their dignity and made a choice to abstain henceforth.

I have learnt to enjoy every milestone I make as I impact lives. In today's world premarital sex is viewed as a way of having fun. Often there is backlash especially from those who believe sex can and should be practiced before marriage. Despite these challenges, I never give up on the dream of having a generation that embraces sexual purity.

I recall reaching out to many high school girls to join the purity movement, and many were hesitant. I managed to get 200 girls who were happy to be part of us. 

We reach girls and women using two different approaches. For 12-20-year-olds, we reach out to them through primary and high schools and for those aged 21-30, in colleges and communities.

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Currently, we have reached 800 girls and women through the community missions and 4300 girls through our High school missions. Through the foundation, I encourage many girls to pursue their education and pursue their God-given purpose in life.

My parents taught us the importance of education in building a better world. I cherished their concerted effort in educating us and I instill the same values. Presently, I am pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Bible Theology and Community Development and would be happy to further my studies to the Masters' level or beyond.

Running a foundation requires passion, resilience, determination, and of course money. To supplement my income, I run a business by the name Debra's Purejoy Enterprises that manufactures peanut butter. I use part of the money and savings to fund the missions for the foundation.

I also get support from friends and family when I cannot reach my target. I work with eight volunteers who help in teaching about sexual purity. We promote sexual purity, justice, and compassion as tools to present love and hope to the people we reach.

My future goal is to build centers in different communities. My greatest support system is Rev Mark and Pastor Lydia from the Nairobi Chapel whose support has been amazing. Also, Robert Burale's motivation and teachings keep me going." 

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