Telling the ECSA Story

The only family she has left is her baby born of rape: how a refugee’s motherhood triumphs over her trauma   Mafi* is holding her tiny newborn in her arms, as she puts her hand gently on her little tummy. What most people do not know is that a part of her daughter reminds her on her worst days in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Shortly before fleeing from home, four armed men had raped her. One of them is now the father of her child. Two days after giving birth to her, she recounts her horrific story in front of her small plastic sheeting tent on a hot and humid afternoon in Kyangwali refugee settlement. Mafi is one of over 288,000 Congolese who fled DRC to seek refuge in Uganda. They followed me into the forest. I went to get fire wood when the four armed men suddenly attacked me. I screamed at the top of my lungs for help but no one heard me, no one came. They pushed me to the ground and I immediately knew what their intention was. “ Kill me ”, I shouted to them, beca

By Joseph Scott, CARE South Sudan Nyekuth Kwol Kiel and daughter Nyeliet Puol Thong -24 months Last month, 24 months old Nyeliet had recurring bouts of fever and diarrhea. Her mother Nyekuth thought that her daughter was bewitched and took her to a traditional doctor in the village.  At the traditional doctor, they were given some roots and other concoctions, which were supposed to take care of her illness but after two days, nothing changed. In fact, Nyeliet illness became worse. “I decided to take her to the hospital because the diarrhea was not stopping and she kept vomiting,” says Nyekuth. “At the hospital, the health staff checked her and told me that she was suffering from malnutrition.” Nyeliat was admitted in the CARE supported Mankien Stabilization Centre situated in Mayom County. After two days, Nyeliet started to regain her health and was referred to the outpatient programme. She visits the Centre once a week to get her ration of ready to use therapeutic fo

A heavy load for a big sister to carry   Dealing with homework, making it for school on time – typical concerns for any teenager and Pamela Chitukire, 15, is no exception. It’s clear she loves school. She notes she is the captain of the netball team (think somewhat similar to basketball). Math and English are her favorite subjects at her school in Chivi district, southern Zimbabwe. “I want to continue learning and go to higher levels. My wish is to become a teacher,” she says. The conversation continues without pause as the reality behind her situation sets in. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to continue my education since I don’t have anyone who will pay my school fees, buy my uniforms and books needed.” While her worries about school are similar to students the world over, the barriers she faces to get her homework done or keep up with her classmates are tremendous. Her father passed away in 2009. A few years later, her mother left for South Africa to find work in 2013. S

Coming together for ‘Less work and more harvests’ Samson Woyo is a bit of a star in his community, but he’s adamant his success is thanks to someone else.  Popularly known as Chingwanga, at 70 years old, he’s tall, with a healthy white beard and commands respectful attention. CARE began working with him in 2015 through a project to improve household nutrition and help families better prepare for harsh conditions in this region of southern Zimbabwe prone to drought and exposed to the impact of climate change.  “Our fathers used to follow the rainfall pattern. It was consistent, it didn’t change. You would know that the rains that would come in a particular month, were the rains we would plant in. Now, if you want to follow the pattern of the rain, it has changed. So if you try to follow it, you won’t harvest anything. It’s no longer consistent, it's changing,” says Chingwanga. CARE staff note he’s taken lessons learnt to heart and is eager to share knowledge gained with his

William Penn said,  A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeable.  This quotes captures the spirit of humanitarian workers. They have freely given themselves to the noble cause of restoring human dignity. The World is a better place because of their work.  One of the ways to appreciate their works is sharing their experiences with the rest of the world. In the spirit of World Humanitarian Day, we would love to indulge you with two stories from our colleagues based in South Sudan. These stories reveal their selfless nature, passion for their work and fulfillment gained while in the line of duty. ENJOY. STORY 1 A man on a mission A lifetime of commitment to protect women and girls’ rights By Patrick Vuonze, CARE South Sudan Since I was young, I defended those who could not stand up for themselves. I would more than once confront others in school to stop bullying