Who pays these guys?
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Thursday, May 28.
We took Jibu Samuel to be reunified with his parents in his home town of Katsiru, four hours drive from our base in Kitchanga (100 km from Goma). Jibu’s home is at the top of a hill. We got there and found his father, a 30-year-old man. Jibu’s mother was out working in their field. When the man saw his son, he rushed to embrace him. He hasn’t seen him for two years. The father and the son couldn’t take their eyes off each other. From these sights, I saw a deep expression of emotion.
They were separated when fleeing the fighting in their home area. The father confessed that he never expected to see his son again and thought that he was dead. At the moment of their separation, Jibu was his only child. Now he has another one-year-old boy. The only words that came out of the father’s mouth were “Jibu, my little boy, welcome back home”. To us he couldn’t stop saying “God bless you. I would like to reward you but I have nothing to give. God Bless you”.
The scene was very moving and it was difficult for us to interrupt it to say goodbye. Finally, we decided to leave them. The father and the son walked with us to the bottom of the hill. On our way, neighbours asked: “Is that the son you have missed?” “Yes” responded the father, “These people have brought him back to me”. “Who are they?” asked an old woman carrying a bunch of wood. One worker started to tell her about Save the Children and our work. The old woman listened attentively with deep interest. When my colleague had finished talking, the woman took his hand to her mouth as a sign of admiration and asked: “Who pays these people for the great job they are doing?”
Tags: africa, displaced people, reunification
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