Abduction and rape often becomes a means of warfare. Service “Make Way Partners” involved in assistance to victims of atrocities, including in South Sudan. As the President of the Ministry, Kimberly Smith, highland helped a lot of people, saw firsthand the terrible consequences of such crimes.
MHN: Kimberly, thank you for participating in our program. Some of the kidnapped in Nigeria Boko Haram girls decided not to leave their captors, even if they could do it. Does that surprise you?
Kimberly Smith, highland, service, “Make Way Partners”:
No, not at all. I think one of the main reasons for this is the uncertainty that will be waiting when they return home.
MHN: Let’s talk about it. The girls may have problems mental, emotional or even spiritual nature?
You are absolutely right. Mental, emotional and spiritual problems. Just two weeks ago we freed another woman from the camp in South Sudan, where she was raped. In this camp committed rape, sanctioned by the authorities. She told us: “If I return, I will always be known as the woman “took”. They use the word “took” instead of “raped”. Moreover, according to her, the rougher of all it will appeal to women in her village.
MHN: what about those girls who returned? What difficulties await them after the incident?
Most likely, no man wouldn’t want them. Now they are very young and beautiful, even while exhausted and neuhozheny. They have a whole life ahead, but now they “stain of shame”. Attention to girls of the world community is a double — edged sword, because now many people know who they are and what happened to them. Therefore, no one will take them to wife. In such cases, the woman usually becomes an outcast and is forced to live alone with no children, who would be there for her when she’s old. Because marriage in Africa is usually a necessity.
MHN: I’m sure you’ve seen how the love of Jesus Christ restores those victims, isn’t it? There is hope for these people, despite the horrendous trauma that they have received?
Of course. We have almost 15 years working in this society, and you can tell a lot of stories about salvation. These stories are very painful. We had to dip into the darkness with them, but we see a constant and consistent assistance in the love of Christ changes hearts. Just need to care and compassion. But this can only happen with the involvement of the body of Christ. It should take steps in this direction — whether the traditional forms of counseling or prayer. We all need to ask ourselves: “How can I help this suffering?” In addition, there are experts, Christian experts who know how to overcome mental, emotional and spiritual traumas — their role is very important.