On our first day in Rwanda, we had the privilege of meeting a widow named Therese who has been fighting a long battle to get her land back from her husband's family. As she begins to tell in this video, she went to court three times, and finally won her case. The family drove her and her children off of the land soon after her husband died. There was no where that she could go. There are not homeless shelters, or many options for someone who does not have a place to grow their food. To not have land is like a death sentence.
Here in the video with her is the IJM social worker who keeps in touch with her, and makes sure that she has everything she needs. During the time when she was fighting for her land, IJM provided this rental home for her and her children. It has been a long fight, but she was within weeks of moving back onto her own land when we met, and has probably made the transition by now. She will be living near her husband's family, and said this will be difficult, but she will have a means to live and provide for her children, and IJM will keep in touch with her to make sure she is safe.
While we were together, she sang a song for us. The video cuts off, but she continued to interpret for us how the chorus says that God provides morning, noon and night! She was generous in every way during our visit, sharing her personal story, and sharing tea and cookies with all of us.
The government there has done many good things to document land ownership, and to provide education about land rights, so the IJM office is seeing fewer and fewer cases of land grabbing.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Widow's Song
On our first day in Rwanda, we had the privilege of meeting a widow named Therese who has been fighting a long battle to get her land back from her husband's family. As she begins to tell in this video, she went to court three times, and finally won her case. The family drove her and her children off of the land soon after her husband died. There was no where that she could go. There are not homeless shelters, or many options for someone who does not have a place to grow their food. To not have land is like a death sentence.
Here in the video with her is the IJM social worker who keeps in touch with her, and makes sure that she has everything she needs. During the time when she was fighting for her land, IJM provided this rental home for her and her children. It has been a long fight, but she was within weeks of moving back onto her own land when we met, and has probably made the transition by now. She will be living near her husband's family, and said this will be difficult, but she will have a means to live and provide for her children, and IJM will keep in touch with her to make sure she is safe.
While we were together, she sang a song for us. The video cuts off, but she continued to interpret for us how the chorus says that God provides morning, noon and night! She was generous in every way during our visit, sharing her personal story, and sharing tea and cookies with all of us.
The government there has done many good things to document land ownership, and to provide education about land rights, so the IJM office is seeing fewer and fewer cases of land grabbing.
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beautiful. thanks to you and to her for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking of how fruitful this land could be if we could keep the land in the right hands, and keep crime out, Praise God for her and IJM. Thanks for sharing, Sarah.
ReplyDeletesara..
ReplyDeletethis blog is awesome. thanks for sharing your heart and experiences with the world.
i have a quick question. this may sound strange, but bare with me. i'm a young mother of my first son and after listening to your music and hearing your heart and connection with your children i can't help but wonder how you parent? did you soak up every second with your kids and avoid strict schedules and cry-it-out methods or did you enjoy more routines and structure particularly through the night? i'm not quite sure why i'm asking you this other than the fact that i'm exhausted and listening to your music and hearing your love & heart for your kids always reminds me of the brief time i'll have them and how quickly this time goes. plus, you've done this more times than I so i figured your might have more experience than myself. :)
just a question.
praying for God's continued direction in His ministry through you, your heart for the lost, and your music.
God bless you, girl. keep up the great work!
melanie
What an amazing testimony to God you are! So, your friend Marci from Bursville told me I should contact you. (I think she emailed you about it.) So...I'm contacting you. >wink<
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