Today the sun shined all day. It was warm and people gathered outside at the jungle medical camp. They sat around having our ginger tea and talking, some laughter was heard. Oh, the healing power of the sun!!!! On the way this morning Riikka and I found the truck selling oranges. We bought 25 kg of them and 20 kgs of tomatoes. We gave out the oranges to all our patients and it smelled so delicious. Nice juicy oranges – yum!
A doctor from the Congo, also a refugee, has been working with us. Today he consulted with Mark and they treated patients together. He doesn’t speak English, French only, so we communicate with a translator. It slows everything down a bit but is so valuable. The stories of torture, the wounds from beatings, are told to us over and over again. Everyone suffers from ptsd and insomnia.
Humanity’s cruelty to humanity is hard to fathom. Yet our human history is full of these atrocities. When will we stop?
What makes a human capable of torturing, killing another human and over what? Religion, money, race, power??? What is the trigger and what makes people follow the leaders of these atrocities?
In our country we are in dangerous times. Could we be the next refugees? How would we survive? I am sure all the refugees I have ever met never considered this situation ahead of time. It happens quickly and desperate measures become the only way to survive. Fleeing for safety, expecting the world , the UNHCR, to provide shelter, food and safety. And then finding out the world has turned their backs. An underpaid UNHCR cannot do their job.
This situation is so desperate. Please write to your representatives. I know we have a lot to deal with at home, but these refugees are truly our brothers and sisters. We are all a part of the human family.
Meanwhile we are telling people here we are Americans and kind, caring Americans supported the purchase of medicines for them because WE DO CARE. Thank you all for your support.
