Especially challenging day today. We saw about 7 young men, all minors aged 16 and 17. They are here alone, escaping bad situations in their country, most of them VOT (victims of torture). They are supposed to be protected and sheltered away from the general population but these boys are camped in the jungle in tents fending for themselves. They are registered, have a number and police card so it’s not like their situation is unknown to whoever is in charge.
They had no coats, no sleeping bags and were shivering in their sweatshirts. Most of them have been here for several months. They don’t know how to advocate for themselves. Terra was running back and forth to Omar’s warehouse looking for warm clothes, sleeping bags and blankets. There are not enough for everyone. We are scrambling. Thank god for Omar and his staff manager Anna who helps us as much as she can to find the things we need and distribute to those we can. We all know what it is like to go camping and not sleep all night because we are shivering cold in our tents. This is every night for these people.
We also saw many people today who have experienced sexual violence. Horrific! A lovely young man came to us, he had been raped in the “jungle” here last week and was still experiencing great pain and rectal bleeding. He does not feel safe and has gone to the camp authorities and has still no protection. I don’t know what to do for these people.
I look around and see all our team members offering each person their full loving attention and radiating love, along with the medicine Mark distributes. It is all we can give. Dick is giving massage and again that human touch is so very important. He is doing some tapping – a technique for ptsd.
Georgia and Marcia have been working in town at the clinic and we miss them. Tomorrow we have an all womens clinic scheduled in our jungle camp spot and they will join us here. I am so glad. There are so many women with gynecological issues and post rape ptsd.
Terra, Sue, Riikka, Paula, Mark, Georgia, Dick, Marcia and Marcia — we all are working so hard, giving our all.
We tell people we are from America and other Americans support them.They say they love America and thank us. Is America deserving of that love? I know many of you are but what of the policymakers? Do they know about this suffering? It is up to us to witness and now we pass that on to you to witness — our witness. Please join us and roar with anger at this inhumanity.
Please share these posts! People need to know how these people are suffering.
We will be needing to purchase more medicines soon as we are running low, the needs are endless. We want to assist Omar to get sleeping bags, blankets and coats.
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