Elizabeth and some of her children
Dave Husby, Director of Covenant World Relief, just shared this story:
I keep meeting amazing people on this trip. Elizabeth is a 30 year old widow living in Malakal, Sudan. In addition to her 5 children she is also caring for NyaSunday, (girl in photo) the orphaned daughter of a friend. Elizabeth’s first husband was killed during the civil war in 2004 and then her husband’s brother married her according to the their custom. But then he was killed during some violence in 2008. Elizabeth and her oldest daughter carry 5 gallon water jugs on their heads about 5 times a day from the Nile River which is about a mile from their tarp covered hut. Her youngest son, Nhial is paralyzed from the waste down and not able to speak. To earn money Elizabeth sells some of the water she fetches. She also hand-stitches designs on bedsheets. NyaSunday and Nhial are both part of the CWR funded Vulnerable and Orphaned Children project being implemented by the Sudan Covenant Church.
Cindy and I are grateful for the Evangelical Covenant Church of Sudan, the ECCS, and their compassion and vision. They were the ones who saw the need, drafted the project and are carrying it out successfully. CWR is simply providing the funding for which we are also very grateful.
