Update from Bukavu

Good news! GREAT news!

ZAWADI IS FIRST IN HER CLASS!

She scored the highest mark on the mid-year standardized test.

What an achievement, what vindication for a girl who was abducted at age 12 on the way home from school by a rebel militia and forced to be their slave (sex and otherwise), for close to three years! Remember that this child underwent unimaginable hardships, giving birth to two children in the forest, serving the men she "had to pretend to love or be beaten", responsible for finding food and preparing it, seeing other girls get the same treatment and worse. Zawadi escaped, TAKING HER CHILDREN. It's hard to get exact details because of the sobs that she can't control when she tries to speak about her ordeal.

She started school in September, and has done splendidly. I'm trying to get more details but the phone connections to Bukavu are sketchy.

Justine is also doing extremely well in school. She wants to study law, eventually to prosecute the perpetrators - actually, that's not what she says, I'm projecting my own feelings, perhaps: she wants to DEFEND WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

Thought you'd love to have a reason to rejoice. Have a great day!