Doreen
The Global Orphan Project works with local churches to support some of the most remarkable families on earth. These remarkable families depend upon some of the most remarkable women on earth, women who give their lives to redeem others: our mamas. Like Doreen.
Through a twenty-year war, AIDS, and the ongoing scourge of fatherlessness, so many children in Gulu, northern Uganda, have suffered catastrophic family failure. We have a local church partner in Gulu whose leaders believe that they have an obligation to love and parent them. That courageous decision raises inconvenient questions.
Who will parent these children? Day in and day out… Who will love on them? Feed them? Get them to school? Break them up when they’re fighting? Pray for them when they have continuous nightmares? When “healthy” families feel overwhelmed with their own circumstances, who will parent these children? The answer to these questions in Gulu came through an unlikely hero.
Doreen is 64 years old. She became blind at age 8. That ended her school journey. At age 12, Doreen miraculously regained a little sight in her left eye. She tried to go back to school only to get bullied for being blind and behind. She dropped out again, destined for a life of digging in her dad’s garden. In 1969, at age 19, Doreen got married, only to discover that she could not bear children. After six years of abuse and shame for not producing him a child, Doreen’s husband abandoned her. Her dad put her back to work as a nearly-blind slave digging on his farm. Through all of this, Doreen clung to the only man who never abused or abandoned her: Jesus. If you ever wonder whether Jesus is real, don’t turn to the latest poll on the state of Christianity. Ask Doreen.
When the church leaders needed someone to mother abused boys whom nobody wanted, they turned to an abused, blind woman whom nobody wanted. And a new family blossomed.
Doreen says that all of her boys love and respect her, but they play so much that it’s hard at her age to keep up. She says that her greatest daily challenge is the special care that she gives to her new son who has HIV. The other boys think that she favors him too much, and she finds it very difficult to make them understand. She struggles with this conflict, amidst all of the burdens of parenting nine boys. She covers the boys in prayer and relies upon the wrap-around support of the church. And day in, day out – even at this very minute as you read – she mothers them.
We’re often asked why these special women take on this daunting load? The answer goes deep into the heart of a mother and the miracle of Christmas. Here’s Doreen’s answer:
I am free like Jesus. My ministry has changed my life in a positive sense. I have been a loner and rejected most of my life. It is here that I feel home and loved and respected. It is here that, even though I didn’t bear my own children, God was preparing me to look after His children. I love them! This is my home, and I have nowhere to go from here. I am old but may God give me more years to care for these children, because it is here that I am a human being.
Nobody will make a movie about Doreen. You’ll never see her face on a Wheaties box. She’ll never be famous. But in this ministry, Doreen – and the multitude of Doreens that selflessly serve children around the world – are our heroes. They are the most important people in our ministry. They are the primary life-givers to the children we serve.
In 2015, we want to take another huge step forward in the support and training of our mamas around the world and in their households. Therefore, this Christmas we are setting aside all year-end gifts for our mamas. Please consider investing in their lives. Specifically, your donations will support the following for our mamas:
• Increased training and retreats
• Food, clothing, and other daily needs
• Funding to care for children who have no one else helping with their care
Whatever you give, we will honor your investment. GO Project enjoys a Charity Navigator rating of 4 out of 4 stars, with the highest possible accountability rating, and your gift carries our 100% Commitment. That means that NONE of your gift will go to our administrative or fundraising overhead, and ALL of your gift will go to our work in the field
