By Chitra Rajeshwari, One World Board Member
MARCH 24, 2011
On our trip to Africa, Colleen LaFontaine and I had the opportunity to visit El Shadai, a family foster home in Jinja, Uganda. There we met Susan who was the latest child to come and live at El Shadai.
Like all the children there, Susan came from a very poor home. Her parents are drug addicts and don’t work. She is the oldest of five children, and although she completed primary school, her parents were too poor to send her to secondary school. She felt like an orphan since her parents could not even afford to feed her. Her relatives were not supportive and wanted to be rid of her, so they forced her into marriage to an older man—she was only 15. Her husband kept her locked in a room and constantly abused her. Susan wasn’t sure where she was being kept and could not escape. Luckily for her, she’d heard about Uncle Steve (Stephen Wante, the founder of El Shadai) and all the good work he had being doing. She knew she must contact him to escape the horrific life she had been forced into.
Susan found the courage one day, and wrote a note to Uncle Steve, “Please help.” She folded the paper and gave it through the window to a person on the street passing by her room. Fortunately for Susan, the note got to Stephen, who then jumped into action, and with the help of the police, found Susan, rescued her, and brought her to El Shadai.
To date, Susan has had no contact with her parents or other relatives. They will not speak to her. They accuse her of betraying them and shaming the family by leaving her husband and living at El Shadai.
Susan is shy and soft spoken. She is 18 years old now, and in Form 4 (a senior in high school). She says “I enjoy school and have made many friends. I am a good person and love to play football and net ball.”
We could see that she is still traumatized by her past and were told by her mentor that she has seen Susan lying in bed, scared and crying. But living at El Shadai has helped Susan cope with her fears and she can finally feel safe. The children at El Shadai treat each other as brothers and sisters and take care of each other as family.
Susan is determined to finish school, go to college, and become a nurse or a doctor someday. Having met Susan, I am confident she will achieve her dream. As for me, I know I will never forget her sincere smile.
Susan at El Shadai
Find out more about El Shadai on our project page.
Or visit their website: http://friendsofelshadai.com/index.html
