The eyes void of hope

WE YELLED AND BANGED THE DOOR FOR TWO MINUTES. THE TODDLER BOYS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, WHO HAD BEEN LEFT ALONE BY THEIR WIDOWED MOTHER, KEPT DEADLY SILENT. THIS WAS MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF HOW THEY PERSEVERED THROUGH THE ATROCITIES AT NUBA MOUNTAINS IN SUDAN FOR FIVE YEARS WITHOUT GETTING KILLED: BY PLAYING DEAD.

Lufa, their mother, finally emerged and allowed our team of volunteers into their home. The room, just big enough for two beds and a dresser without doors, is glaringly empty. Nothing memorable hangs on the wall, no random stuff on the ground. Lufa had nothing to serve her guests, not even a glass of water. Her twin sons, the youngest in a family of five, lost their father while they were still in Lufa’s womb in 2011. This happened during the height of Khartoum’s military aggression against the Nuba people. Years of foreign aid and supply embargo to the Nuba people, coupled with malnutrition, made the five year old kids looked like they were three at the most.

We took a seat and talked. Lufa’s voice was weak and fragile, which made it even harder to imagine the tremendous courage she gathered four months ago, when she finally decided to flee her motherland with her five children. She navigated through hostile and alien territories for three thousand kilometers to the north, and sought refuge in Egypt, a custodian nation since the time of the Pharaohs.

Lufa's possessions 

What Lufa has here so far: a yellow card issued by the UN High Commissioner of Refugees. This is the start of a grueling process which can take years before refugee status is given. An apartment for the children, but no means to pay the rent. And the local neighbors, hurling derogatory insults about their dark skin. She has to endure all of these, because as a yellow card holder she is not under the protection of local law enforcement, nor of international conventions. There will not be any material assistance forthcoming. Even if she has the money to pay for a work permit, she cannot leave the kids unattended to go to work. This explain the hollow look in her pale eyes when she glanced past us. These are the eyes that are void of hope.

This is exactly what the Center of Hope by the HopeforMENA is about: bringing hope to the hopeless. Earlier in the day Lufa’s eldest son Jona had a tutoring class in the center which will prepare him to attend formal schools. He was bold and loud in answering questions, knowing that this place is secure, and that the adults in the center can give him what his deceased father can no longer provide.

As visitors, we acted out the drama of the Walls of Jericho with the children at the Center, teaching obedience in faith. We put on a little show named “Hope” with only a piece of paper, teaching them to look at life in a completely different way, just by holding the pierced hand of Jesus. He commanded us to demonstrate His faithfulness. The faithfulness that was lost when time and again ceasefire agreements are broken, and pledges of aid unhonored.

See how the center brings hope in our latest video here >

Hope grew out of faithfulness.

At the end of the home visit, we left two bags of clothing and food. It won’t sustain them for long,  but it may be enough to rekindle Lufa’s faith and hope in the ultimate source of providence. 

In a few days time, we returned back to visit her family: