Sister Connection Newsletter - September 2011
Widows Seminar 2011 ... and Youth Camps
When Sister Connection held its first annual seminar five years ago in Burundi, the intensity of the celebration by the 150 widows in attendance was beyond what some visiting Americans could comprehend.
Perhaps the joy was because so many of the widows that first year had just received sponsorships. Maybe it was the gifts given to the widows at the seminar -- sewing kits, cooking utensils, Bibles, and school supplies for their children.
Certainly, all those things contributed to their happiness, but as the years have passed, the intensity of the celebrations at the annual seminars has only grown.
This summer 370 Sister Connection widows attended the annual seminar. They brought with them 145 children ages 6-12 who participated in a children's camp. It's hard to describe how important the seminar and camps are to these families. It's often the highlight of their year -- a family reunion that's looked forward to months in advance.
A Woman's Path to Sister Connection
Kidnapped by Burundian rebel soldiers when she was 12 years old, Marie was taken to the bush and forced to become the wife of one of the rebels. Her parents had no knowledge of her whereabouts or even her fate. Marie lived in the forest for more than 10 years until the rebels laid down their arms and began their return to Burundian society. By this time, Marie had borne her rebel husband three children.
Showing the same disregard for her as when she was kidnapped years earlier, Marie's husband left her upon exiting the bush to marry another woman, taking their 3 children with him. Now in her mid-20s, Marie was left with nothing and had no choice but to return to her parents' home.
But her family didn't welcome her. Instead, Marie's father wielded his machete and threatened to kill her if she entered his house again, saying, "You are a married woman, you have to live with your husband."