This week, Noela
Baramwete, our Furaha program overseer in Congo came across the border from
Congo with her little baby boy. We were so glad to see her and know she was
safe. As we discussed what was taking place in Goma she showed us some pictures
of the area within and around Goma. The Christians so far are safe, but
disbursed and displaced.
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Large camps of women and
children are scattered around the town of Goma and even within – taking lodging
in schools and any type of shelter. Food is a problem and cleanliness – all
this and few groups helping out there.
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There is a real need for
food relief, shelter, and household items such as blankets, cooking utensils,
and warm clothing. Goma is situated
close to Mount Nyiriangongo and due to the eruptions – is mostly a town of ash
and large rocks of lava. All this makes it doubly difficult to build shelter
and even grow crops.
Destruction of shelters of internally displaced persons by the rebel
soldiers M23 in Kanyaruchinya and Mugunga camps.
Refugees on the run and making a home
in camps, where they begin making a life for themselves from pieces of cloth, shelters made from desks, grass, mud, plastic
bags and burlap.
Women and children are the ones that get the worst of it as women
are raped, children are forced into early service in the rebel and government
troops and the smaller children assist with chores – cooking, hauling water and
carrying firewood and stones.
Please pray for this terrible situation
and keep these individuals in mind as they fight for life and continue to fight
for survival.
-N
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