News from
our Members
Tu ôl i'r
Wên /
Behind The Smile
by Sarah Roberts
Tu
ôl i'r Wên /
Behind The Smile is a registered charity set up by six of us here at
St. Beuno's, Botwnnog to help children in Sierra Leone, West Africa.
I
went on a "holiday to the sun" in the Gambia in 1997 and met several
families who had fled there from Sierra Leone where there had been a civil war
raging since 1991. Up till then I knew hardly anything about Sierra Leone except
that it was a country rich in natural resources such as gold, diamonds, iron ore
etc. Despite this
though around 80% of the population live in absolute poverty.
As a result of the civil war that lasted ten years-
from 1991 to 2001 it has been left one of the poorest countries in the
world and one of the worst countries to grow up in.
After
that initial holiday I returned to the Gambia several times in the next couple
of years, staying with refugee families from Sierra Leone and returned every
time more determined to help the people left behind as I heard about the
terrible conditions in that country.
During the civil war around 8,000 children, both boys and girls had been
abducted by rebel fighters and forcibly recruited as child soldiers.
Other children had run away from their homes because their villages were
destroyed, their parents had gone missing or were killed, and these children
ended up on the streets of the capital, Freetown.
In
1999 I and Lisbeth James (wife of our vicar Peter James) met with a pastor and
his wife who were visiting this country talking about their work rehabilitating
children in Sierra Leone and it was as a result of that meeting that a committee
of six of us came together and set up the charity.
After much prayer we decided to concentrate on helping girls,
known to this couple, among them ex-soldiers who had been forced to kill
and maim (sometimes even members of their own families). Some had been sexually abused by the rebels and others had
been forced into prostitution as their only means of survival.
We promised to sent £1000 a year to house as many girls as possible.
Within a year we were able to send double that amount and the same thing
happened again the following year. We
were really amazed at people's response as our fund-raising activities began to
raise awareness among our fellow church members as well as people from the
surrounding villages. We also
found that we ourselves were being blessed as we worked together!
By
the year 2000 there were 29 girls of all ages being cared for in rented
accommodation and by now we were eager to see for ourselves how we could
continue to help. So in November that year Lisbeth and I went over and
spent 10 days with the girls in their 3 bedroomed flat that they had christened
"Ruth's Nest". Although conditions were very basic: no running water,
no flushing toilet, no proper cooking facilities and most of the time no
electricity for light we had a wonderful time with them.
We will never forget the welcome they gave us, the nights when we
all sang together and the mornings when we would wake up to the sound of them
singing and praising God for the roof over their heads. We returned
home very humble and determined to continue the work of raising enough
funds for them to be housed in their own building with better facilities.
Also the location needed to be nearer to the school, tailoring shop,
clinic and other facilities run by Pastor Cole and his wife Yeaka where
there are many others as well as these girls, were being educated and trained.
In
May 2002 we were able to send £3000 for the building of this home and by
October we were informed that the first phase was completed with 50
girls ready to move in.
At
present we are waiting for Pastor Cole's visit to the U.K. this Spring with up
to date news and then we hope to continue with the next phase.
We thank God that along with the vision He's brought the provision to see
it fulfilled; to give hope to the future mothers of Sierra Leone as their
country gets back on its feet .
Love is giving for the world's needs,
Love is sharing as the Spirit leads,
Love is caring when the world cries,
Love is compassion with Christlike eyes.