Hakani

We discussed in lecture this morning the issue of child prostitution and the selling of children into the sex trade. It made me cry; how can anyone in this world be so sick, so perverted? Each of the millions of children are so precious, so beautiful, so loved by the Father God. He holds them so close to His heart; He wipes each tear; He longs to hear them giggle and play like the little children that they are. I am undone by the sick things being done to God's little ones around the world. 

Another issue we have examined--and an issue that PhotogenX is heavily targeting--is that of infanticide. I heard the story this morning of Hakani, a baby girl born into a remote indigenous tribe in Brasil. She was the first girl, after four boys, and the family was overjoyed at her birth. But as time passed it became clear that she was not developing normally. As is customary in this particular tribe--and so many other tribes--the parents were told to kill the child. They knew it had to be done, but could not bear to do it. They committed suicide to avoid taking their daughter's life. Hakani was taken by the villagers to be buried alive. She was hit on the head with a shovel so she was unconscious, but as she was thrown into the hole and covered with dirt she woke up and began to scream. Her older brother could not bear to hear her cries and unburied her from her grave, running with her in his arms to their grandfather's hut. The grandfather said that the girl must not be permitted to live, so took out his bow and arrow and shot her. The arrow missed her heart and went into her shoulder instead. They decided to let her live, but they would give no care or attention to her. She lived outside the hut under a banana leaf and dug insects out of the ground to eat and drank when it rained.

When Hakani was five years old, she was near death and her brother dropped her off at the doorstep of a local missionary. She weighed 15 pounds. She didn't look human.

When the missionaries found her, they placed her in a hammock and prayed over her body all night. At 5 a.m. they went to bed, feeling there was nothing more to do. When they awoke, she was lying in a mess larger than her body of insects, dirt and worms that has passed through her system. They began to feed and care for her, slowly opening her heart to love. It was months before they were able to actually touch her. Doctors said she would never walk or talk; it was a miracle she was even alive. 

Years have passed; Hakani is now a healthy young teenage girl that cannot stop laughing, singing, and dancing. She is a miracle; she is one of thousands of infanticide victims that was spared. She has brought the issue of infanticide to worldwide attention and debate. For more information and to see photos of Hakani, visit www.hakani.org 

Her name, Hakani, means "smile." She is a beautiful, precious child that nearly had her vibrant life snuffed out. 

This is the heart of PhotogenX--to give a voice to the children of God (of all ages) that have no one to fight for them. 

These are the things that break His heart; these are the things that concern Him--not the size of a church or the style of worship or the "cool, hip" youth group. My prayer is that He will speak to the church, to open their eyes to what is going on around the world. We are Christians--we are His works to be active in bringing about change in our world. Begin to ask Jesus to break your heart over the things that break His. And be prepared to share the raw pain that He feels for the abuse of His precious little ones.