Today, Karen and I decided to hang out with Jennifer all day. (Jennifer is our cook!) We spent the morning talking to her as she waited to get her grocery money.
Her story is amazing. She told us how her father died when she was only 2 months in her mother's stomach and then her mother died when she was 5 years old. She went to live with a step mother who had taken in all her mother's 25 children. Jennifer was the only one to come out of her step mother's home alive. She says she is very happy and thankful to have survived so she works hard. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she works fate conspires against her. She was married and had two children with her first husband who was abusive to her. Once he ran into some money he ran her out of the house. He still has the children (in Acoli culture the children belong to the man). She then married her current husband who she paid school fees for who finally finished his university degree, but doesn't work.
After hearing her story, Karen and I decided to take her to lunch. On our way there we stopped by her grandmother's sister's home and said hello. She was a beautiful, rotund older woman who was now supporting her children as well as the children of her late husband's 2nd wife. While we were there, Jennifer amazed us by touching hot coals and a hot pot with her bare hands! We left there and went to a fancy place called Bomah and watched a movie as we waited for lunch.
After lunch, we walked to the market and watched Jennifer shop in the main market. I have no idea how she would manage all those bags on her own normally, but she does.
I am amazed constantly at the strength of the women in this place.
The strength of a woman!
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