Two Stories

by

We duck our heads, as we enter into the “sitting area.” Our seats are made of boards and mud. A confident, middle-aged woman apologizes for the discomfort of her dwelling.  She speaks English, French, Runyankole, and Swahili interchangeably with our family and our 3 staff members.

Two days prior, during a home visit with the Tutapona team, Sarah and Ginoveve said they wanted to share their stories of how God impacted their lives with us when we arrived. After exchanging pleasantries, Sarah initiated the conversation, asking that her story be translated.  She began by talking about her life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) prior to the traumatic experiences that forced her from her country.  “I was a working woman with a very good job and a nice home,” she began, “I would never have imagined that I would be living in such horrible housing conditions and in a refugee settlement.”

Sarah continued by sharing about how she, in the midst of her war, lost all of her children.  “They were all killed by rebels, and I myself, was almost killed.”  “Shortly after, I began feeling very sick.  I got tested and realized that I had contracted a serious disease.  “I couldn’t mentally deal with the fact that I had this disease.  I became very depressed and people around me would gossip about my condition.  My mind went mad.” Sarah said that she began secluding herself.  She found herself at Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement alone and with nothing.  She said that various people tried to counsel her but she couldn’t function and no longer wanted to live.

Ginoveve’s story had shocking similarities.  After being gang-raped by rebels, she was forced to witness her children’s murder by those same rebels.  Later, her husband was also tortured by them and left for dead.  Ginoveve was left without family, with the exception of her two grandchildren.  They were brought to Rwamwanja.

Ginoveve had lost her will to live.  Her very young grandchildren were left to care for themselves; fetching their own water, feeding and clothing themselves.  Ginoveve didn’t bathe and rarely ate.  She lay around crying all day with thoughts of how to end her life.

Sarah and Ginoveve attended the Tutapona program reluctantly.  They initially showed up at the program hoping to get a handout of clothing or material goods.  After the first day, however, Ginoveve came hours early. One of our team members interrupted the narration to say… “Ginoveve would be SO early, but would lie down through the entire trainings.”  Ginoveve responded back, “Yes, and at first, my mind was so numb that I could barely comprehend what was being said… but I kept coming, and the message became more clear.  Finally towards the end, I was able to understand the love of Jesus and experience His healing in my life.”

-Julie Gaede

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