In my ongoing series of introducing some of the people we have contact with in Congo, I bring you Ephrasie next, a widow to whom we help by bringing food supplies. In Bukavu, there are many such widows. Often their husbands were older so sickness and disease plus the many rebels, wars and warring factions have decimated most older men. Some time ago Tuesday was declared the day that widows, the infirm, and the poorest of the poor could come to town and beg on the streets and in the shops without being hassled. On other days they are shoed away. Most live far away and walk many miles to come to town to get what they can, hoping it will last another week. When Brenda, Ray and I go into the downtown area of Bukavu we do so prepared with money to give out. We know some of them now and they know which shops we frequent so they wait for us there. In return, they help guard our vehicle or open our doors for us when able.
Ephrasie comes from a village in North Kivu province where things are very different than in the area around Bukavu. It was a rural area only while Bukavu is a large city. She was a baby when her father died but remained under the care of her mother with several older siblings. Consequently, her mother had to be enrolled on the list of area farmers. By doing that she could manage one meal a day for her children. But being without a paying job, her mother was not able to send any of her children to school. (Schooling in Congo is not free)
While her friends were moving forward in their studies she was spending more time daily at the “poor farm.” She began farming with her Mother at a young age always with one goal: getting enough food for their family. By being with her mother each day she was able to glean stories and advice about life that would help her as she grew. The difficult part of life was when someone became sick; (malaria, typhoid, yellow fever, measles, and many other diseases were prevalent) But there was no money for medicines, so suffering, sickness and death stalked them often.
Ephrasie was a Christian from a local church and by going to church she met a man who eventually became her husband. His background was similar to hers. His family were farmers, too and very poor. When she married she went to live with her husband in her mother-in-law’s house. Her mother-in-law was a widow with 5 other children to care for. Because of the education and Christian view of life Ephrasie received from her own Mother she was able to live with them all in peace. (From my perspective and experience in Congo this is rather unusual!)
Some years later Ephrasie’s husband died in the war. (a result of the genicide in Rwanda) As the fighting escalated the entire family had to flee. Unfortunately, they all became separated from one another, no one knowing where any of the others were.
Now she’s living her old age and cannot work. She depends on her children. But they themselves are married with families of their own and struggle with all the same problems of extreme poverty. Though they want to help her they cannot meet all the needs.
It is with kindness, love and many, many hours of work our co-workers at Tracy’s Heart put in to accomplish the enormous task of feeding the most desperate. They constantly seek sources to buy beans, grains and oil at the lowest prices possible, store, carry, repackage and deliver it all. Next blog I will begin introducing one of our co-workers, Byabeca, the director of Tracy’s Heart both when we are in-country and when we are in the States. All I will say for now is she is a treasure! Don’t miss her story.
Under His Wings, Jayn
Heart For Central Africa
Building Bukavu
Tracy’s Heart
“Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favor. ” Prov 11:25 TPT
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