We spent several hours with the Seagull women in their new building today. This women’s group makes all of our HOW? Jewlery. It was a time of thanksgiving, rejoicing, sadness and deep pain. Among the stories I heard was one from my friend Esther about her 7-year old daughter named Florence. She had been suffering from many bladder infections and always had a sore stomach. She attends the school at Tumaini while living at home with her mom, who is living with AIDS after her husband died of AIDS, and her two older sisters. One day Esther asked Florence to run next door to their dear, dear friend’s house and borrow something (cup of sugar type thing). The older sisters asked their mom not to send Florence to that home. After much questioning, Esther discovered that her dear friend’s 70 year old husband had been raping 7-year old Florence for months (hence the bladder infections). Esther told a friend about the situation and was informed that another 6-year old little girl in the community had been raped by the same neighbor. She went to the 6-year old’s mother and together they decided they had to act. So after much counsel, prayers and through fear, they decided to report the man to the police. The men in the neighborhood heard about this and stopped the women on the road and offered them both an acre of land each if they would drop the charges. There was pressure, threats and eventually the mother of the 6-year old acquiesced and took the bribe. However, Esther would not. She marched to the local police station and explained her case. One of the other neighbors followed her in and had her charged with falsely accusing a man of rape.
There is much more to this story, but I will say that the Seagull women are fearfully, but stoically standing beside Esther and her family. Esther has now had to sell some of her own land to pay for bus fare to go back and forth to court (which has a high likelihood of failure at a high price) and our team at Tumaini continues to provide health and emotional care for little Florence.
What is it about Africa? I want to write a cuss word with an exclamation point here, but my mom will likely read this, so I won’t.
On my knees again… for the country and the people that I love.
I’m hearing you. and because my mom probably won’t read this, i will say this is bull shit! And things like this should piss us off. And to answer the question.. No, this is not ok, with me!
What can I do to help?
Pray that a snake crawls in to bed with this man tonight and bites him in the …I won’t tell you on blog what I offered the mother to go and do to him. Jesus sees it all, and He weeps – He is justice so we lift our eyes to Him and believe.
It is definitely NOT okay with me! Just prayed Psalm 109:6-20, and will continue to do so. When you see the ladies again, please give them my love. May God’s vengeance come swiftly, and may God’s healing come even faster.