How Sheltering In Place Became A Nightmare

Written by Brittany Stokes, Co-Founder of Project Orphans

It’s been a long week, to say the least (actually a long few months). When the quarantine first started, I really have tried to not share the need in Uganda. I knew that so much was happening close to home. People were losing jobs, battling anxiety, scared about catching the virus, and passionately fighting for the things they cared to speak up and defend.

I never wanted to seem disrespectful, insensitive, or uncaring. I’ll be honest — I also didn’t want to receive backlash for sharing about other issues or ask for support - because I should be focused on the black racial injustice, police brutality, or the fact that America is financially struggling.

Project Orphans has received many messages from people saying we are wrong to focus and provide care to kids in Africa — when we should care about black people in the United States. It’s been hard. It’s made me hurt. It’s also made me silent. So silent I had to ask a very special friend to share and post for Project Orphans because I didn’t know what to say or how to say it (she has been doing a great job by the way).

Over the course of the past week or two (and after speaking with my husband, Kyron), I’ve realized I shouldn’t be silent and feel wrong to stand for any injustice. Kyron put it so well, “I’m a black man and I don’t fear for my life every day. But I do fear for the children who have no advocate or are being trapped in abuse during this quarantine.”

Sadly this has been happening both here in the United States and abroad. Uganda’s quarantine has been very much like a death sentence.

In Uganda, we don’t have police who we can call when a child is raped and know that they can effectively protect them. We don’t have police to call and ask for support when someone in our village has been brutally robbed. The majority of hospitals in Uganda don’t have the necessary supplies to keep one patient breathing! Kids who have heart surgery lay in a bed or on the ground next to other patients.

All this to say - Project Orphans has recently received three girls ranging from 14 to 16 years-old. They were all defiled before, during quarantine, or both by their father or an adult male. They were all abandoned as “shelter in place” restrictions lifted. One recently had twins, another is in active labor at our birthing centre, and the other girl is 4-months pregnant. We also have taken in their siblings because they were too abandoned.

So in total, we have eight lives who are special and worthy of care - who have moved into the Pearl Village transitional homes. We also have two unborn babies who are going to be growing up at Pearl Village as we teach, train and restore these young teen moms.

Uganda and the rest of the world are experiencing unreal numbers of child trafficking, rape, and domestic violence. It’s sad and these girls, children, and unborn babies deserve to have their stories told. They matter and right now they need a community to show them who Jesus is!

We are needing three people to sponsor each of our new Pearls as they transition from being a victim to learning their identity and becoming survivors. It is $50 per month to sponsor one Pearl. This covers their living, life-skills training, food, and other living costs. I don’t want to share the images of these girls because they are under 18 but we will share them with their sponsor along with their names and information. They need sponsors who can encourage them, pray for them, and write them throughout the next few years.

We also need four to eight people to sponsor the new Pearl’s younger siblings to attend school, their meals, and living arrangements while at Pearl Village. Sponsorships for our Education for a Nation children range from $25 - $50.

Project Orphans is grateful because we have had amazing donors who have consistently given to our organization throughout this year. In addition, we have amazing sponsors who have allowed us to provide meal services to our current Project Orphans kids! Our organization is strong — but there is much need and vulnerable lives who are reaching out and we feel strongly to walk in faith that our needs will be met to help serve and show Jesus!

If you have questions or are interested in sponsoring please contact us today by emailing sponsor@projectorphans.org