Boy, 13, Uses iphone to Save sister, 11, from Marriage to 53-Year-Old Man

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 16, 2007 -- US based social networking site, hipfox.com, recently awarded a 13 year old Kenyan boy a new iphone from apple when the founder of the site learned that the boy's sister, 11 year old Jane Rukii, was in danger of being married off to a 53 year old local chief to satisfy a debt owed to him.

The debt was incurred by the girl's late father five years before and had been used to put her through school. According to 13 year old, Kamau Njoroge, the chief didn't particularly care for money and instead wanted either a simple radio that could get American radio stations or a cell phone.

Tradition dictated that as the chief, 53 year old Joseph Kahiu could take the 11 year old as his wife at any time to settle any debt owed to him by the girl's late father.

Hipfox.com holds a monthly picture rating competition where the winner gets awarded $200.00 USD and like many other people around the world, Kamau signed up last month to join the website and enter the competition.

Unfortunately for him, the site requires users to be at least 15 years old.

Kamau says he also needed the money to help support his family, pay off most of the debts incurred by his late father and also continue putting himself and his younger sister through school. He knew that the money he made herding goats and harvesting coffee during the weekends was just not enough.

As a 13 year old boy in rural Kenya, Kamau was also the head of his family, his father having been killed by three machete wielding bandits who got mad when they broke into Kamau's house and found nothing of value to steal. The bandits also raped his mother.

Kamau, who was 10 at the time, was spared only because he managed to jump out through the window and run into the bushes. His younger sister was sleeping over at their aunt's house that night.

Excellent grades at his school had helped Kamau become the head librarian and chief prefect and as such was awarded privileges like computer access to the school's sole computer and borrowing of books for periods longer than the other students.

Surfing the web one day after classes last month, Kamau came across hipfox.com, and when he saw that the website was offering $200.00 to anybody who submitted their picture and won, he immediately jumped on the chance to sign up.

He only had one picture of himself herding his goats - that his father had taken - but he knew that $200.00 would go a long way in helping meet his and his sister's school fees, pay off the family debts and put food on the table.

Since the website required users to be at least 15 years old, Kamau contacted the site's administrators and asked if they could make an exception for him.

"My initial reaction was to say no," says the site's founder, Robert Njonjo. "But when I learned what he was trying to do with the cash gift, I made an exception and decided to send him a phone. And what better phone than the new iphone."

Kamau was happy with the gift and says that the chief accepted it as enough payment for money owed although he had been a bit confused on how to use it.

"We here at hipfox.com are happy to have helped Kamau. We pray for him and wish him nothing but the very best and continued success on his hard journey," says Robert.

As for Kamau, nothing could have made him happier than the iphone gift that saved his sister from a very early marriage. "I feel so happy now that my 11 year old sister will continue on with her studies," he said.

About hipFOX

Hipfox.com is a social networking site that accepts job postings from companies that are hiring. Membership on hipfox.com is free and users can also post their resumes for free. Hipfox.com allows free viewing by any employer of posted resumes on the hipfox.com website.

Hipfox.com also has a popular picture rating feature that allows other people to rate their friends or anybody on the site on a scale of 1 to 10. As a social networking site, hipfox.com helps people connect with old friends and family members all over the world.

For more information, please visit hipfox.com

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