Today we had the opportunity to visit the International Justice Mission (IJM) office in Kigali, Rwanda. We got to learn about what they are doing to help victims of child sexual assault. The subject matter is hard and most people don’t want to talk about it, let alone do anything about it. IJM addresses these issues and fights for the girls that are victimized. They see it through from assault to graduating from trauma counseling for the girls, and from arrest to prosecution
and incarceration for the perpetrators. In Rwanda these issues happen all too often and are not talked about to anyone, which makes it easier for people to get away with it and do it again. The girls feel “used” and “no good” and are especially vulnerable to being re-victimized and forced into prostitution. These are the girls we see in our Gukura program, the ones that never told and never got the help they so desperately needed.
The women in our program are working so hard to better themselves but have a hard time believing they deserve it or that they will ever get out of their situation. This is true for so many girls and women across the world in many other countries, even in our own country. We need more people willing to fight for the injustice in this world. It’s so easy to look at something and think it is cruel and vicious. It’s a lot harder to stand up and do something about it. But people do, everyday! I want to share with people the injustices I have seen and pray others will stand up to help fight them. I want to live in a world that doesn’t just stand by and watch as people suffer. I want to live in a world where people will at least look at the world around them, even if it is just in your home town, and find a way to make a difference for someone. I want to live in a world where people care about one another. If we choose not to look, it is our own selfish desire to pretend we live in a perfect world.
I am grateful that God gave us the chance to meet an entire group of people willing to stand up for others at IJM. It only makes it easier knowing other people are trying to help. I can only pray that what we are trying to do here in Rwanda makes even just a little impact for the girls who no one would stand up for. I pray for the girls in our program and I pray for the leaders of the program in Rwanda. I know that this road will be long and hard but it will be worth it in the end.
and incarceration for the perpetrators. In Rwanda these issues happen all too often and are not talked about to anyone, which makes it easier for people to get away with it and do it again. The girls feel “used” and “no good” and are especially vulnerable to being re-victimized and forced into prostitution. These are the girls we see in our Gukura program, the ones that never told and never got the help they so desperately needed.
The women in our program are working so hard to better themselves but have a hard time believing they deserve it or that they will ever get out of their situation. This is true for so many girls and women across the world in many other countries, even in our own country. We need more people willing to fight for the injustice in this world. It’s so easy to look at something and think it is cruel and vicious. It’s a lot harder to stand up and do something about it. But people do, everyday! I want to share with people the injustices I have seen and pray others will stand up to help fight them. I want to live in a world that doesn’t just stand by and watch as people suffer. I want to live in a world where people will at least look at the world around them, even if it is just in your home town, and find a way to make a difference for someone. I want to live in a world where people care about one another. If we choose not to look, it is our own selfish desire to pretend we live in a perfect world.
I am grateful that God gave us the chance to meet an entire group of people willing to stand up for others at IJM. It only makes it easier knowing other people are trying to help. I can only pray that what we are trying to do here in Rwanda makes even just a little impact for the girls who no one would stand up for. I pray for the girls in our program and I pray for the leaders of the program in Rwanda. I know that this road will be long and hard but it will be worth it in the end.