Written by Carina Sim I Video: Elizabeth J.

For most of us, we would have busied ourselves making our homes as comfortable and cosy as we could, furnishing it with both the needs and the wants, during this year-end festive season. However, as much as Susan’s family would love to do that, they can't.

For the past seven years, Susan and her six children have been living in a dilapidated rental apartment. Having fled from a long-lasting civil war in Sudan, the country they called home, they arrived in North Africa with just a bag of clothes. 

Susan's husband had left her and the family, leaving her eldest son, who is 18, to work as a house cleaner to barely provide for the rent.

A glance around…

When our team entered the apartment during the first home visit, Susan received us at the door politely, despite looking tired. We were greeted by the sight of three children sitting respectfully at a corner of the living room. A glance around revealed bare walls and peeling paint.

Walls in certain parts of the house rose to nothing as there were no windows to keep out the flies and the cold gusts of wind that occasionally filled the house. In their place, thin curtains were used to maintain the privacy the family needed. Soon after, the children were told to give up their seats for us, to which they immediately obeyed and zoomed into the bedroom.

We followed the children into the bedroom, where they sat gingerly at the edge of the bed and began working on their school work.

That was the only bed in the house and its rusty legs were propped up on bricks. A walk around the other rooms revealed the tragic fact that there was no other furniture in sight. A huge pile of old clothes lay in the middle of one of the rooms, seeming as if someone has turned it into a makeshift bed.

The steady drip, drip, drip sound from the toilet caught our attention and to our dismay, when we peered into the dark, danky space, there was no toilet bowl in sight. Instead, there was a hole in a corner and a red plastic tub which was almost filled to the brim was placed underneath a leaky tap. No shower facilities was seen. A twisted wire hung from the ceiling where the lightbulb ought to have been. 

The school challenge

Faced with the challenges of providing education for her children as well as installing electricity and proper plumbing in the toilet and kitchen, Susan struggles to meet the basic needs of her family. Her four younger children, aged 13, 11, 8, and 7, will be unable to attend school past December, as there is only enough money to pay for school fees till then. 

Praying for healing

Susan's eldest daughter, who is currently 16, has been suffering from tuberculosis for the past year, and had to stop attending school. Her third son, 11, fractured his elbow 2 years ago, which left untreated has resulted in him being unable to bend his arm fully. Susan herself experiences chronic pains in her abdomen, caused by persistent gallstones. 

"Her abdomen was tender and she was malnourished," said Caity, one of our team members from Australia who is a doctor, after a brief medical examination.

Humble faith

However, in the midst of dire straits, Susan has no lack in her faith in God. 

"God has His plans for us," was her reply when asked about her desire for herself and her family. "God is with me. I love God and I am strong in God. Without God, I will go mad," she added, a heartfelt confession that tugged at our heartstrings. 

As we ended the conversation, we left Susan with a verse from Jeremiah 29. '"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."' Her eyes lit up as she asked the translator to repeat the bible reference a couple of times, so that she could memorise it.

Giving the gift of hope

With the year-end season of giving fast approaching, it is our prayer that you partner with us to give the gift of hope to Susan and her family to help transform her house into a home.

"May God bless you abundantly," Susan said to us when we were leaving her apartment. We believe in faith that the blessings she has asked God to pour down on us will be flowing into her life very soon. There is hope when we hope in God.