Our Lady of
Fatima children saved from starving
By David Dionisi, November 2003
I observed the life-saving work of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) on November 8,
2003. CRS came to the aid of over 150 disabled children who were starving due to
the civil war in Liberia.
The CRS organization is a good friend according to Sr. Mary Sponsa Beltran, the
founder of the Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation Center in Johnsonville,
Liberia. CRS has helped since 2000 with food aid from the Life Center Program
and construction of a well.
CRS directly helped all of the people associated with the center on October 9,
2003. The aid allowed children who had not eaten for days to start to regain
their strength. The children continue to struggle, not only with severe medical
problems from their disabilities, but also from extreme poverty. Food is no
longer the primary problem, but the children need many basic things for their
day-to-day survival.
The October 9, 2003 CRS shipment was made possible by a grant from the Canadian
Center for Peace & Development. The aid included:
• 46 tins of vegetable oil
• 36 bags of table salt
• 2 bags of sugar
• 300 eating bowls
• 10 lanterns
• 10 shovels
• 10 rakes
• 3 wheel barrels
Sr. Beltran observed, “This is the worst I have seen. I never saw people so
poor.” This is an amazing statement from a women who has been a Bernadine
missionary for 52 years with over 30 years in Liberia alone.
Sr. Beltran became disabled herself in 1990. She cannot walk and also has very
limited eyesight. Her powerful presence and hard work with her disability makes
her connection to the children even more unique.
I echo Sr. Beltran’s comments; the suffering in Liberia is shocking. The civil
war that lasted 14 years produced this poverty. The Liberians refer to the
recent wars as World War I, II and III. The suffering may be more comprehendible
in this context. The location of the center near Monrovia put the residents and
children in the cross fire of this civil war.
The Our Lady of Fatima center serves people in extreme need. Currently 700
children attend school in a building that would serve 100 kids in the United
States. Over 300 people are able to eat one meal a day and 150 people sleep in
the unbelievably crowded dormitory.
Without CRS and direct support from the United States, the disabled will
experience suffering on a level unimaginable in the United States.
One 15 year old girl at the center, Makule Dullah, shared with me that she has
Polio and Kyphosis. Her mom died and her aunts and father were unable to care
for her due to her condition. Makule came to Sr. Beltran with the dream of going
to school. She is now at the top of her class and will be a teacher when she
graduates.
Makule has a beautiful smile. She especially loves books about human beings. She
has many friends at the center. One friend, Marie, is also disabled. Marie does
her best to contribute to the center by helping put buttons on clothes.
Christians and Muslims have strong friendships in Liberia. This is because each
religion is respectful of the other and fundamentally sees each other as
children of God. Makule’s father, Mohammed, is a Muslim. He works at the center
and is famous for his skill with his one hand.
Makule recently became a Christian. Her father respects her decision and is very
proud of his daughter.
Lorpu Kalubah, a six year old girl with Polio, asked Sr. Beltran to never leave
the center. Her fear was born in August when the people were fighting. The
combatants, often young boys doped up with drugs, terrorize everyone. At one
point in August, Sr. Beltran was away from the center and the children had
nothing to eat. Fortunately, CRS was able to come to the rescue before it was
too late.
Lorpu’s mother joined the rebel forces in a place in Liberia called Loffa
county. Many people were presented with the option of fight or be killed.
Lorpu’s grandmother brought her to the orphanage after her mom left with the
soldiers.
Lorpu likes ducks and dogs but she can’t play with them anymore because they
were eaten during the war. She also mentioned that she loves chocolate which she
had for the first time when Sister returned from the United States.
I think Lorpu is a smart girl. I too asked what would happen if CRS, Sr. Beltran
and the center itself were not there to help.
Even with the previous aid, the situation is still desperate. Sr. Beltran said
that she would do anything to help these kids, and I don’t doubt that for a
second. She has given her life to serve those most in need.
Sr. Beltran is assisted by Victor S. Wilson. He is the leader of the center.
Victor was one of the first disabled children at the center. During the war
Victor was forced at gunpoint to surrender the money the center had to feed the
children and adults. Miraculously, the soldiers failed to see two bags of money
in the safe. The two bags enabled the center to meet the survival needs of the
people.
I visited the dormitory, and the sight was not pretty. Children sleep on rat
eaten mats. These disabled kids are crowded in the few rooms with 2 or 3
children for every bed. The smell is unpleasant, but the center does the best it
can. Given the alternative of sleeping outside, the dormitory is a slightly
better alternative.
One man who touched my heart was Sackor Freeman. Sackor is a severely disabled
young man. Look at his hands in the picture below to obtain a sense of his
suffering.
This 17 year old has a smile and a voice that is none-the-less inspiring. Sr.
Beltran said that Sackor’s wasting away. I felt his arm and it was no wider than
two fingers. I wonder if Sackor will be at the center the next time I visit?
Sackor coaches soccer for 23 children between the ages of 9 to 14. He looks
forward to coaching when the center obtains a soccer ball. Apparently, the
crutches can pop a soccer ball.
Sackor wrote a song about the war. He sang the song for me. The words are:
"Thank you God for saving us! Jesus, I love you! During the war people were
running from place to place and bullets were flying and falling all around.
People were dying. Thank you God! Thank you God for saving us!"
You can also help Sr. Beltran directly by donating online.
Source: Dave Dionisi interview of Sr. Beltran and members of the Our Lady of
Fatima Rehabilitation Center in November of 2003.
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