This month we are featuring our team mate Valerie Kasameni who is the Child Protection Trainer and works alongside Linda.
“When people ask me why I chose to come live and work in Gulu I usually tell them that it’s God who chose Gulu for me and He put Gulu in my heart at a very young age. I grew up in the central part of Kenya which is where my dad originated from. One day as I was doing my homework and my dad was watching the News, the story of the LRA (Lord’s resistance Army) in Gulu came on and we were shocked at the number of deaths and children left without parents.
My dad made a comment that I will never forget: He said that those little ones should be in their homes doing homework just like my little girl is doing right now instead of having to hold guns and being out in the streets all alone without food, shelter and their parents. From that day on I asked God to bring me to Gulu so that I could love on those children just as He loves us. And I was only 8 years old back then. I didn’t know what I was talking about! All I remember is that my heart became heavy and burdened from that point.
So to cut the long story short God fulfilled His plans for me and brought me to Gulu and I have never looked back and regretted any of it. I love serving the people of Gulu. I love going out to the schools and listening to the many stories which I know most are an aftermath of the war that was. A lot of the abuse happening now stemmed from the war and the people of Gulu do not know any other way. Their hearts were hardened by the war and its effect in their lives. So as we go out to train on child protection and positive discipline we get different reactions from the community and the schools.
Some welcome us and others are just not ready to adapt new ways of discipline which is a big challenge because all they’ve ever known in their lives is abuse: and not just physical abuse but psychological and emotional abuse as well as neglect and exploitation. It is very normal for a little child to be left alone without an adult the whole day because that’s just what they are used to here. So we face difficulty in trying to get the schools and the community to protect children and implement the positive means instead of what they have grown up knowing as the right way. And I thank God that he’s blessed me with amazing colleagues who embrace my passion and support me as I fulfil what God has purposed for me to do here in Gulu.
But in all the challenges that we face God has and is still faithful. He’s provided me with good health and He’s given me a spirit of patience to deal with the many different people that we reach out to. So far we have worked with the teachers in schools, the children, the members of the school board and some parents’ representatives. We pray and hope that we will be able to reach the parents in those communities too. I wouldn’t ask for any other purpose in my life than to be where I am and doing what I am doing right now.”
Please have Val in your prayers for God’s hand to be with her as she continues working with the schools, for encouragement and strength.
Darbys' Diary 