27 February 2008

A Salvation Army Emergency Services project to assist Kenyan refugees in eastern Uganda is making a difference to families facing the loss of homes, close family members and almost all their belongings.

A number of local organisations have been active in the region, supplying assistance to needy families, but the needs are still great. Some touching stories are coming out of the Manafwa region where a remote border crossing is being used by Kenyan refugees. Moving stories of friendship and hospitality being offered by the people of Bumbo have touched the hearts of Salvation Army relief workers in that area.

Since Manafwa is not one of the main border crossing points, official refugee assistance has been hard to put together, but one of the largest Salvation Army congregations of eastern Uganda happens to be situated there. The corps officers (ministers) and members of the congregation had identified that a large number of families, themselves with only meagre resources, were sharing their little food and water with bereaved and injured families coming to their town from Kenya.

Alongside a number of interventions in the main refugee areas and camps, more remote areas in Manafwa have seen a major feeding programme funded by The Salvation Army in addition to many individual acts of kindness by Salvationists and other local people. Especially effective has been the ministry of Captain Comfort Adepoju of International Emergency Services. Having been a nurse prior to becoming a Salvation Army officer, Nigerian Comfort's presence has been of great benefit to a number of young families.

 

Captain Comfort Odepoju with Kenyan refugee Gladys and her foster-child

The captain picked out one story which was typical of the situations she had witnessed: 'An impoverished family of seven,' she says, 'was looking after a little family of three, whose mother died giving birth in January after escaping the crisis in Kenya. The trauma of fleeing their ransacked home, leaving behind their possessions, and then the death of the mother, left the pain etched on the face of the older daughter, Christine.'

Helping this family and many other new mothers has been just one of the multitude of tasks which Captain Adepoju and other local Salvationists have been carrying out. The crisis shows no sign of improvement, with more families arriving by the day to seek refuge after long, painful journeys by foot, from their Kenyan homes many miles across the border.

While making a monitoring visit to the region, Gordon Lewis, a UK Salvationist employed by International Emergency Services, saw yet another group of refugees gathered in the Salvation Army hall. 'We found a party of eight families who had walked for 24 hours,' he said, 'and crossed the border early that morning after fleeing an attack on their homes. They managed to gather just a few of their belongings before running away.'

 

 

 

 

Captain Comfort Odepoju discusses childcare with Kenyan refugee Grace Shakiro and her two-month-old baby

There is little doubt that the support and intervention of The Salvation Army will be needed for some time in this area. In view of this, International Headquarters is preparing to deploy another team to replace Captain Comfort, who is now returning to her own husband and family of five children in Nigeria after taking care of so many others for six weeks.

International Emergency Services Coordinator Major Cedric Hills says that recent moves towards peace in Kenya have not stopped the steady flow of refugees. 'Our colleagues in Uganda are working hard to cope with the many difficulties in their region,' he adds. 'We hope that Salvation Army territories around the world, and anyone who has a heart of compassion for these suffering people, will help in any way they can.'
 

 

 

 

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