A little girl was turned over to Congolese authorities this week. We will call her Imara. Little 3 year old Imara sustained an unimaginable level of abuse and torture. Imara is an orphan that was living with extended family members. She was beaten, burned and whipped for many days straight until she admitted to being a witch, and then Imara was shunned from the community and taken to the commune social services as an orphan to be placed in an orphanage.
About a week ago, Imara was beaten with a whip on her arms, legs, stomach, buttocks, and back, hit with many objects, punched in the face and kicked all over her body. She is assumed to have been forced to eat a poison, but was not otherwise fed or given anything to drink for three days. She was tied up during this time, now having rope burns on her arms and legs and her hand was crushed with a hammer-like object. She was burned with a candle that was held onto her leg and then up to and inside her mouth until she finally admitted she was a witch, although she has no understanding of anything that happened to her or what she was confessing to.
Imara has been taken to a foster home and is receiving love and attention, but she still has very big needs. Her leg wound is now severely infected and runs the risk of amputation if the infection does not stop spreading. A small and poorly-funded hospital operated on her Thursday night in the middle of the night when her body started to go into shock. We do not know the extent of her internal injuries, but know that her leg and her crushed hand need immediate attention. We are working to petition the U.S. to grant her access for medical and humanitarian emergent need.
Children being accused of witchcraft is a horrible phenomenon occurring in DRC - it is actually estimated to be the primary reason more than half of the street children have been abandoned. For more information, look at these links:
Please pray for Imara - for healing and that the infection will slow down and go away...and for long-term healing from the trauma she has been through. This is the worst case of abuse I have ever seen and is even extreme for the situation in DRC, but she is alive and fighting to recover. Imara means "strong" - and this little girl is one of the strongest there is.
I've only ever wanted to wrap my arms around a child this badly one other time in my life and that was my premature daughter in the NICU. I'm sharing her story and praying for her. Thank you for writing her story and for the update yesterday. She has stolen my heart.
ReplyDeleteDear All,
ReplyDeleteMy first novel 'Child Witch Kinshasa', was published today, Dec 3, 2014.
It may interest you. Based on my experiences in DRC. Took me 10 years to write it. Please see www.childwitch.com.
Here is the blurb:
It's Spring 2002 and Frank Kean is training journalists in troubled Congo. When he learns that religious zealots are torturing and murdering so-called child witches, his reporter's instincts kick in. Why so little news coverage of these 'exorcisms'? He is determined to break the silence.
In a remote village, Pastor Precious arrives to battle Satan. Twelve-year-old Dudu faces a torrent of accusations and is forced to flee, far from home. He swears he is not a witch, but evidence suggests otherwise.
When Frank meets Dudu in Kinshasa, he sees an opportunity to help, even if it means crossing the line and making promises he may be unable to keep.
But can they trust each other in a crisis?
Fear and superstition play out against a bloody and relentless civil war.
500 pages.
Part 2: 'Child Witch London', will be published in March.
I hope people will read it and realize what goes on, in Congo.
Maybe we can stop it. Somehow.
Thank you for interest.
Mike Ormsby
I am Weeping and praying for this precious little girl!
ReplyDelete