“We are tired of war and tired of being raped.”
In desperation, this South Sudanese woman cries out for help to anyone who will listen. Her friends and family have endured rape, beatings and killings. Others have literally run for their lives. Millions are displaced with many fleeing to neighboring countries as refugees.
After a bloody civil war that lasted decades, South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011. But what started triumphantly as a new beginning quickly crumbled into chaos. Attempts at peace have proven fragile and ineffective. As civil uprisings continue, women and children are the most victimized
Yet, in this darkness, life rises out of the rubble. God sees and hears. And He answers. He leads women in these hard-hit places to reach out and help one another.
Rayan* is in a She Is Safe Transformation Group that started a relief fund for suffering neighbors. In addition to helping their own families, these women are encouraged to serve others around them.
Rayan’s neighbor,Marta, is a war widow. After losing her husband, Marta sank deeply into despair and turned to alcohol to numb her pain. Each day, she would leave her five young children alone while she drank with a friend.
Rayan felt compelled to intervene. She visited Marta and took some food for the children. Rayan shared about her Transformation Group and how even poor women were able to set aside money to help others in need. She invited Marta to visit her group and her church. In time, Marta joined in and eventually invited Jesus to change her life.
“We truly are women who are being transformed,” says Rayan.