#sheshines | Mary
Meet Mary. Three years ago, she watched South Sudanese rebels shoot and kill her husband. They demanded money. But he had none to give. Weeks later, the same rebels…
Meet Mary. Three years ago, she watched South Sudanese rebels shoot and kill her husband. They demanded money. But he had none to give. Weeks later, the same rebels assaulted Mary. They would do worse, they promised, if she didn’t have cash in a week’s time.
That’s when Mary decided to flee. She gathered her disabled son, Collin, and her six other children and headed to the border.
Months later, they arrived in Uganda—their belongings stolen, wheelchair broken, and innocence lost. The UN took them to the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, where they received a small plot of land from the Ugandan government.
Last year, we met Mary. She invited us inside of her home, a structure she made out of sticks and tarp. Collin still sat in his broken wheelchair.
“The government does not provide strong building materials to refugees, so I did the best I could,” she told us. “I hope to do more for my family. To have a new wheelchair and a safe place to live would be a dream come true.”
Thanks to our supporters, last December, Mary presented Collin with a new wheelchair. Soon, she will receive our first Green Door home in Uganda.
“I have made the widow's heart sing!” -Job 29:13
This year, we aim to build 30 homes for South Sudanese widows and refugees like Mary.