It has been so wonderful to hear of the fun, joy and laughter experienced by project members at Christmas. It takes little imagination to think of Christmas’s past for street children, child soldiers, mothers desperately trying to keep babies alive, teachers without salaries, and rape survivors without comfort. But your support has made joy and peace a reality for so many. Some of the testimonies below are deeply moving as we see how this joy, laughter and peace at Christmas has had a real healing impact on those precious project members.
In Congo, despite the ongoing war, the projects ‘organised a day of celebration aimed at restoring dignity and joy to the project members’. They had special shared meals and gave out new T shirts and also Christmas hats. Comfort Congo also shared the Christmas cards sent by sponsors which made the recipients feel really valued and the day’s celebrations were described as times of ‘immense joy’.
This included almost 600 children at Sake from the orphanage and town. We have seen the pain of hunger on those children’s faces and to see the smiles from this celebration brings so much joy to our hearts. One of the orphans, Darlene, said, “Since losing my parents I thought Christmas was over but today I ate meat, received a new Comfort Congo T-shirt and I feel loved.”
The same joy was felt at the Congo Street Kids Rescue Christmas celebration. Bravo, one of the boys told of how, ‘Last Christmas I was at the market searching for leftovers but today I am sitting at a table with my friends and my dignity has been restored. My best Christmas gift is new life. For Christel at Comfort Babies Congo “seeing my daughter smile is the most beautiful Christmas gift’. Christel also shared how she and others like her were often rejected but were now enjoying being ‘celebrated as mothers”. How precious that this Christmas they have been able to rejoice together with each other and their babies and children.
At the Children of Liberty celebration some of the boys and girls, many of whom last Christmas were living the terrible life of a child soldier, talked of how Christmas had just been another day of fear their lives would be lost or they would have to do others more harm but now they were sharing food and fun, playing games and blowing bubbles. At the Heshima project where the women have been raped multiple times by multiple assailants, Tuyumbaze spoke with a huge smile that, “This celebration and Christmas meal reminded us that we are survivors not victims and our solidarity among us is our greatest strength. Celebrations like Christmas cement those relationships, provide a context of shared joy and strengthen the process of healing.”
Celebrations were also held at the Central Hospital of Rusayu and at some of the Comfort Congo schools. As Bakire, the hospital administrator reminds us, “The situation in North Kivu is terrible and during this season it is crucial to remind the hospital team they are not alone as they are often under strain and immense needs. Thank you to Comfort International for giving us a special day to celebrate life and hope”. For the children at schools like Kyezye extension school who have nearly all fled from the war and are living in really difficult conditions, and the teachers, including those who do not have salaries, it “showed them they are loved and gave them a wonderful moment”.
In Rwanda, the number of mothers and babies at Comfort Babies meant the celebrations stretched over three days – two days with half the mothers and babies each day and then a special day with those children who are now at the Comfort Rwanda nursery school when they had a celebration at the nursery and then an outing to a park. New dresses were given to the mothers and T shirts and toys to the babies and children and the story of Jesus’ birth shared and thanksgiving for the year given. Christmas cards and video messages from sponsors were also shared. Agnes and Elizabeth shared that, “Celebrations like this remind me I have the right to enjoy life because God has given me a family. This is a very special moment for me and other mothers. Before joining the project, I could not celebrate Christmas like this. Now I feel happy and grateful and the festive season is full of joy”.
The children on the Street Kids Rescue projects always have great fun at Christmas. Once again Christmas was a special time, especially for children who have joined the projects in the last year. As always they shared a Christmas meal together which brings lots of joy and laughter. There was lots of dancing, singing and fun together. The children received new shoes and T shirts and extra food was given to the children’s guardians or parent(s).
The children also received Christmas cards from their sponsors and this can never be underestimated in its positive effect on the children. One of the Gatenga SKR project members, Claudine, said, “Thank you so much for the beautiful Christmas card and your lovely message. It truly made my day. I feel so blessed to have you all in my life, and I’m sending lots of love right back to each of you.”
We are so grateful for everyone who provides the support for the Christmas parties. The high level of support that project members get across the projects through the year does make it necessary to raise the extra funds for Christmas so it is a real blessing to have such a great response to help with this.