Necessity is the mother of invention. This is the 10/7/10: What a day (no ants)! It was our last day training the peer counselors. They take in the information like sponges. We have to use simple language both because of the interpreters & the lack of life experience & proper education. They are so honest & so needing of love. At lunch Alisoun & I went up by the girls’ dorm. They swarmed around us, asking about our lives, touching our hair, bringing us dandelions, hugging us & telling us they loved us. They talk about believing during the genocide that no one in the world cared. When people like us come from far away to help, they know some people do care about them, & they are deeply grateful. What I have learned from them is that when human beings lose everything & face what seems to be certain death, what they are left with is either their connection with the Devine or descent into rage. When they choose connection, they have a capacity for love that seems boundless. The first day we were there, three of the girls reached out, brought me into their dance, & continued to maintain a non-verbal connection the entire time. This does not mean they never get stuck in competitive survival mode, but when brought to their attention, they recognize that they will not be able to solve their problems as individuals or as a country if they do not cooperate. To be able to forgive the son of someone who tortured & killed your family & tried to kill you takes incredible courage & willingness to trust in the Divine & yourself. These kids are doing just that. The orphanage has gone from 5 or 6 major trauma incidents per week in 2007, some requiring intervention by police, to not one incident in this last year. Lori started her trauma work in 2008, & the school staff attributes the change to her program. At the end of the day Christopher brought in a student who he had worked with who was ill with a blood disease (not AIDS) & probable depression. He could barely stand up. He asked the peer counselors for help, & over 30 of them volunteered. We worked as a group, & he then felt well enough to make the almost 2 hour drive to Kigali with the Headmaster. I do not believe there is any place where more help is needed, nor deserved more, nor accepted more gratefully, nor utilized more completely. These kids are in my heart forever.
What are the ages of the children you help? It sounds and looks like there are adults there too. Please let them know there are more of us here that wish we too could help.
ReplyDeleteHi Marie,
ReplyDeleteI just realized I have comments to see. I'm new at this blogging thing. The "kids" are ages 15 to 25. Because of their trauma & no schools opened for at least a year, & needing either a government grant or money to pay tuition, they do not complete high school at the usual ages. In the past their trauma kept them from being able to pass the tests. We will be coming up with a list of their needs to post on the CreateGlobalHealing.org website. I will tell them--they ask us to spread the word.
Good to know about the website. I'll check it out. Thanks for the hope Kathryn!
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