Guardian Angels
The Guardian Angels program began upon our realization that our guardians had never healed from their wounds during the war. They were still suffering and as a result, were not emotionally equipped to care and were not modeling healthy behavior for the many orphans that were in their care.
Our Community Counselors ride motorcycles far out into remote communities to hold large group, small group and one-on-one sessions in which they teach about Jesus and Biblical principals of forgiveness, reconciliation, parenting, accountability, relationship-building, mutual respect and many other topics. Through this training, the guardians recognize how their brokenness affects the children in their home and realize the responsibility they have for them.
Below are excerpts from community counselors’ testimonies:
“i see the value in remaining alive for my grandchildren and promise to be a good example to them..”
A grandmother from one of the former IDP camps was referred to our program counselors following an attempted suicide. She had been using alcohol in an attempt to relieve the extreme grief she felt following the deaths of her husband as well as all three of her adult children. She had even sold part of her land and used the money to buy alcohol.
Due to the drinking, she would walk around alone at night in a drunken state which left her vulnerable. On one of those nights, she was raped (by more than one man) which caused her to have a mental breakdown. She was very sad and angry, bitter, empty, humiliated, depressed and felt worthless. She was consulting a witchdoctor looking for revenge upon her attackers.
Through counseling, she received Jesus as her personal savior and forgave her rapists and stopped seeking revenge on them. She stopped drinking and moving alone at night and voluntarily shares during the Guardian Angels meetings. The counselors have helped build a support network for her among her grandchildren and neighbors. She now feels loved and cared for and sees the value to remain alive for her grandchildren who love her. She promises to be a good example to them.
“The Guardian Angels Program helped me get my granddaughter and great grandchild back.
A 53-year-old grandmother was raising her 15-year-old granddaughter. For most of 2020, her granddaughter (who was still in primary school) was out of school due to the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown. Like so many other girls, she got pregnant.
This grandmother began beating her and calling her names like “prostitute” (like her late mom) and telling her she had brought shame on her family. She even tried to talk the girl into an abortion, but the girl refused. She threw her granddaughter out of her home and into the streets Thankfully the young girl was rescued from the streets by a good Samaritan.
During the Guardian Angels teachings on the topic of forgiveness, parenting and how to treat orphans, this grandmother happened to be around and overheard our lesson. Afterwards, she approached us privately and shared the above story. She realized that she needed to go make things right by her granddaughter.
She immediately went back home found her granddaughter who had already given birth at a total stranger’s home. The granddaughter had become bitter. We began counseling them both and finally they reconciled. They are now back in the same home and the grandmother has embraced her great-grandchild. She also prays that her granddaughter can go back to school and has offered to care for her great grandchild while the girl obtains an education.
She is so thankful for the Guardians Angels’ work in the community because they have helped her get back her granddaughter and her great-grandchild.
“There is peace in our home and my hope has been restored.”
The impact of the Guardian Angels reaches beyond just the guardians of VOH orphans and has extended to other members of the community.
There is a 35-year-old man who is married and they have been blessed with two children. Like many families, their life became very hard. They fought a lot and during one of these fights, the wife hit him in both eyes and he became completely blind.
Afterwards, both of them happened to attend one of our teachings. They had not been able to resole this hurtful issue and the man’s relatives had promised to kill his wife. Through their coming to the meetings, they were able to reconcile. The man told his relatives to stop bothering and threatening his wife, because he already forgave her. Their home became peaceful again.
Through the Guardian Angell meetings and teachings, his hope was restored. He even became inspired to run for election and has won as representative in the district on the platform that “disability is not inability.” He is thankful for the support and encouragement he got from the program.
