Providing temporary host families for LRA returnees
Providing temporary host families for LRA returnees
Invisible Children, 28 Oct 2015
URL: http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/providing-temporary-host-families-lra-returnees
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mama Marie-Francine and Clementine. Mama Marie-Francine started an organization called AFASVR (Association of Host Families for Solidarity for the Victims and Escapees) and Clementine is a dedicated volunteer who also oversees the organization’s finances.
Together, they’ve created a network of families in Obo, Central African Republic, who have opened their homes as temporary sanctuaries for women and children returning from the LRA. As host families, they provide a loving, supportive, and caring environment for former LRA members while their families are being located and while they are receiving psychosocial support.
When I asked Clementine why she volunteers to care for former LRA members, she said it’s because two of her own children were abducted and are still in the bush. She hopes they will be cared for if they are able to escape.
Mama Marie-Francine is currently building three new rooms at her home so that she can support even more women and children coming out of the LRA.
Providing LRA escapees with a safe and loving environment to bein their healing process is paramount to their healthy reintegration into society. Their road to recovery may be a long one, but Mama Marie-Francine and Clementine help them take the first step.
Together, they’ve created a network of families in Obo, Central African Republic, who have opened their homes as temporary sanctuaries for women and children returning from the LRA. As host families, they provide a loving, supportive, and caring environment for former LRA members while their families are being located and while they are receiving psychosocial support.
When I asked Clementine why she volunteers to care for former LRA members, she said it’s because two of her own children were abducted and are still in the bush. She hopes they will be cared for if they are able to escape.
Mama Marie-Francine is currently building three new rooms at her home so that she can support even more women and children coming out of the LRA.
Providing LRA escapees with a safe and loving environment to bein their healing process is paramount to their healthy reintegration into society. Their road to recovery may be a long one, but Mama Marie-Francine and Clementine help them take the first step.