Refuge and Hope's first project began in 2004 when we began sponsoring nine former child soldiers/children affected by war in Sudan. This project is really the reason Refuge and Hope International was formed in the first place. These guys have now grown into young men, and five of them are enrolled in schools in Uganda, while the other four are in schools in Kenya. We hope to use this blog to keep you periodically updated on what is happening with these guys, starting with this update.
Ugandan schools are on holiday during the month of May, so four of the Sudanese young men we sponsor have been on break for the past few weeks. Two of them, Saudi and Abdul, were able to travel back home to Sudan during the break. It had been 11 years since Abdul had been home and 6 years since Saudi had been home. Abdul has struggled with depression and homesickness a lot for the past two years since getting reconnected (by phone) with his family. After reaching home and discovering that his younger siblings are in a bad situation, Abdul is unsure of what to do. He is still in Sudan and is struggling with returning to Uganda to complete his education or staying in Sudan to help his family.
Saudi returned a few days ago from a very meaningful and emotional reunion with his family in Sudan. His home community was excited to have him back, and he had the opportunity to teach school children and community leaders about sanitation, mathematics and English. He spent the past few days getting ready to go back to his boarding school here in Kampala this past week. He is in the top of his class academically. Barakat and Abraham spent the school holiday in Kampala with Jade and Shelah, and they also went back to their boarding schools this past week. The other guys in Kenya are back in school and will have their next break in August.
Refuge and Hope plans to continue this project until all have graduated from high school. The last one to graduate will be in 2012. Donations to this project provide for school fees, school supplies, school uniforms, medical expenses and daily living expenses. If you would like to learn more or to participate in this project, please email shelah@refugeandhope.org. And stay tuned for more updates about the guys in the days and months ahead!
(Saudi took this photo of his family during his visit at home)
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