Fostering Unaccompanied Refugee Children in Uganda

They were at school (in South Sudan) when they heard the gun fire. Quickly the teachers shepherded the kids into a room and kept them close until they thought it safe to let the kids go home. But, when Rose (13) and her two brothers (9 and 7) got home there was no sign of their parents. Not knowing what else to do Rose took her brothers back to their school where their teacher took care of them.

It’s a much longer story, but eventually they found themselves in the West Nile Region of Uganda in a refugee settlement where their teacher took care of them for as long as he could, before he left them to find his family in DR Congo. For a little while, before World Vision’s child protection worker discovered them alone, Rose took care of her brothers as well as she could.

World Vision manages a foster family program here in West Nile and, following vetting, training and counselling, unaccompanied children are placed with other refugee families. And so it was that a young man, Isaac, and his new wife took on the care of three young children. Refugees themselves, Isaac and his wife had only recently been registered and assigned a plot of rocky land.

Today, as we sit together on hand made chairs under the shade of a tree in a clean, immaculately swept plot of land there are four mud brick and straw buildings, one of them a ‘gazebo’, and the original tent that Isaac and his wife were provided. In 12 months, Isaac, who knew nothing about making furniture, let alone building houses has created a little private oasis in this green desert. Back home in South Sudan, he says, ‘I knew nothing about this [building], but when you arrive in this place you have to make a life, you have to live.’

Rose and her brothers attend the school in the settlement and enjoy playing with their friends at the World Vision managed Child Friendly Space (CFS) in the evenings and where Rose is enrolled in the accelerated learning program. As Isaac and his wife expect their first baby any day now, Rose helps out at home with the cooking and the cleaning, while her brothers have helped Isaac build furniture.

While many in Isaac’s position, having witnessed violence and experienced unfair displacement may choose to allow circumstances to overwhelm and paralyse them, Isaac has chosen not only to survive but to thrive in this new reality - for this period. He doesn’t imagine that circumstances will allow him to return home anytime soon, so rather than become a victim he has started his own business, a small grocery shop on the road, which, he says, ‘is doing really well’. The profits from this business have helped him build his home.

But not content to claim space and safety for himself and his wife he chooses to share his life and offer hope to three young children who, despite a number of investigations, have no idea whether their parents are alive or dead.

[World Vision has arranged placements for over 1,000 unaccompanied children in the West Nile Refugees settlements.]

RESIGNING MY COMMISSION

A middle aged man stares back down the passage of his life. On each side of the brightly lit corridor colourful doorways lead to intriguingly unique rooms; there are not many pastel colours, there are a few shadows and a couple of the inevitable draughty spots and in one or two places the floorboards protest as weight is applied – but there is an irresistible sense of brightness, excitement, fulfilment and completeness.

This week he gently, tentatively closes a very familiar door, this one a trinity of bright splashes: red, yellow and blue. The door will not be sealed shut and it will not become a museum, but for now he cannot hide in what has become a comfort zone. But, this is just another room in the passage - albeit the biggest and the most comfortable, it is the room that has defined and empowered him for almost 25 years. Other doors are marked by the memories and experiences that have sometimes guided, sometimes pushed him to the threshold where now he stands.

One of the first and most significant doors, marked by a stylised lion on a field of red, orange and green, leads to the place where he learnt what it means to be “other”. His parents, through their faithfulness, their passion for God and love for others taught him what it means to have God on his side, to be available – and perhaps most importantly to be willing to lay down his life for others. His parents showed him what it means to be a Salvation Army officer, and the people of Sri Lanka showed him what true faithfulness looks like – trust in the face of profound uncertainty and even disaster.

A few doors further up there is the door marked by the yellow star on a red and blue background, with the words “I know the plans I have for you” emblazoned across the lintel it seems to have been there even before some of the earlier doors were hung, it’s as if it was always going to be. This Salvation Army Officer room has shaped the man for the majority of his life, and off it numerous anterooms contain experiences and memories that have defined and empowered his ministry. Here he learnt that he was ‘called by God to proclaim the gospel, to love and serve God, to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life, to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend those who have no friends’. And in this room, he was equipped, through studies and experience, to be a humanitarian and development expert. His ministry became defined by his engagement with the hopeless, the poor, the hungry, the naked, the unlovable and the friendless.

The biggest of the anterooms, marked by a burst of the brightest colours, has been the most influential. Here, the memories of marriage and fatherhood fail to be contained by the door; they spill out into every part of the house, like oose these experiences seep under doors, they break through the windows of other rooms – these are simultaneously the informants that have made the man what he is, and the fuel that has carried him on. His wife taught him about acceptance and love, she taught him that he is good enough, but that he also has the potential to be more – she encouraged him to be the person God created him to be. His daughter gave him a reason to care what the future looks like, and she helped him stay real, connected and passionate.

It is because of these and other doors that the man stands at the threshold of a bright orange door. As he reluctantly closes the “Officer” door he does so with confidence that this is what God requires of him. Foremost in his thoughts is Jesus’ story of the Talents (Matthew 25:13-31) and the reminder that God requires people to use their gifts and experiences, to not do so is to be disobedient, to be a lousy steward - “To those whom much is given, much is required” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

So, the new door has opened and I am getting used to a new colour, sometimes it all seems overwhelming and I just want to retreat to what I know – but then God reminds me that God is pleased because I will remain faithful to my calling, ‘to proclaim the gospel, to love and serve God, to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life, to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend those who have no friends’ – for now I will fulfil that calling by means of a new orange vehicle.

Crystal's Story

A few weeks ago a young woman walked into our building. A friend had given her a Bible, and she was trying to read it but wanted to know more about God and faith - that was the beginning of Crystal's journey with us here at Preston Salvos.

Crystal's story could be a movie script. Fighting addictions and 'demons' from her past she is a survivor and through her regular involvement with The Salvos and the mentoring of local leaders she has become a vibrant part of our family.

Crystal listened to the stories of need in countries far away during our recent 6 week Self Denial Appeal and at the invitation to bring a sacrificial gift of money she was the first one to walk down the aisle and place her envelope on the altar. This was new to her, she said, never before had she thought about the poverty and the need in her world.

Three days later Crystal was at church again, talking with a mentor; she looked pale and drawn; just a little melancholy, not the usual bubbly, excited person we have come to know. On questioning (and insisting) Crystal explained that she had not eaten for three days because she had put all of her money in the self-denial envelope. She explained: "I listened to the stories and saw the need; and after all, I was asked to deny myself, I was asked if I would give a gift that was self-sacrificing!"

I'm Back!

After an uneventful flight across the ditch we arrived in Melbourne to be presented with our new car by our new boss. Life is tough some times!

The highlight of the day however, after being met by family, was our introduction to my new niece Anjali (and visiting her parents was good too), and all this before we celebrated a Birthday dinner (Sandy's) at our favourite Sri Lankan restaurant with family. All this before we jumped in our new Holden and drove 750km to Aldinga in South Australia to spend a week with Sandy's family.

It's nice to have a break before we begin our new roles at The Salvation Army - Preston, The Training College (Sandy) and Headquarters (Daryl). And as I write Alexis is out driving her cousins around in her Aunty's car - the first time she has been by herself with passengers - do they really have to grow up? Releasing people to fulfill their potential can be an anxious procedure.