Fundraiser for Flavia Anying

Flava Anying was brutally attacked by her ex-husband on the evening of August 24th.

Late Monday evening, her ex-husband came to her home, forced himself inside, and attacked her in front of their two children. He chopped her five times across the back and right shoulder, breaking her shoulder bone in two places. She also has a large chop through her bicep, and small defensive wounds on her forearms and hands.

On his last chop he tried to decapitate her, but on its way down the blade somehow twisted, so that it came down on the blunt back side of the machete. She was still cut and has lots of bruising and muscle damage on her neck from the force of the blow, but she’s alive. She says that God’s hand came down and twisted the blade, saving her life.

The neck blow knocked her unconscious, and he then used Flavia’s cell phone to call Margaret Odong. When she answered he said “I’ve finished with her. You come clean up the mess.” Margaret rushed over, brought her to the hospital, and notified the police.

The Ugandan army hires young adult males to act as militias/vigilantes to guard the IDP (Internally Displaced Peoples) camps in the North, against the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army). Her husband started working with one of these militias as a teenager, and as a result has a lot of mental and emotional problems. When they were together, Flavia was a victim of domestic abuse, but never before to this extent. When it comes to the attack, he says that Satan made him do it. He’s been arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Flavia used to work in a crude Waragi distillery (basically making moonshine), which is a very unhealthy and dangerous job. Since working with Grassroots Uganda, she’s been able to quit the distillery and earns all her money from making the paper bead necklaces and handbags.

Unfortunately, due to the severity of her injuries, she can’t mover he arm or sit up, let alone roll beads or sew. Grassroots Uganda is currently assisting with her medical bills, but we are worried about her finances the next few months while she recovers. We are currently accepting donations to help cover her living expenses until she’s strong enough to resume Grassroots activities.

You can help raise money for Flavia via the following methods:

PayPal: contribute@meaningfulvolunteer.org

Direct credit to the following New Zealand account:

Name: MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER TRUST

Account Number: 12-3083-0483370-00

Bank: ASB

Country: New Zealand

You can also contact Lee Koelzer - our dedicated Grassroots Uganda volunteer based in Uganda at lee.koelzer@yahoo.com for direct credit into a U.S. based account. It might be easier for you to send her a check (made out to Lee Koelzer) to:

Linda Koelzer

3476 E. Shore Dr.

Helena, MT 59602

USA

Note: That Grassroots Uganda is not a registered charity in the United States, so the U.S. account must be personal account, but - rest assured - all the money will go directly to Flavia

You can also send a message of encouragement to Flavia via this address: flavia@meaningfulvolunteer.org

The above report of the incident was given to me by Lee Koelzer (who is doing fantastic work in Uganda by the way).

I don't know Flavia personally, but my heart goes out to her. No one should have to suffer this type of cruelty.

Uganda has many problems. Violence against women is but one of them. Ladies like Flavia suffer at the hands of their partners far too often. For the most part, their cries for help go unanswered - sometimes because they are unuttered.

The most messed up place I've ever been to is the north of Uganda. An 21 year civil war that still simmers, kidnapped children, child soldiers, grinding poverty, malaria riddled children dying on the street, and corrupt government officials all to add to the mess that is Northern Uganda. I don't pity Flavia's ex-husband working there as a militia. It would drive many a sane man over the edge.

There is - of course - no excuse for what he did. I am glad he is in prison and will not be able to harm Flavia again. Knowing the state of Uganda prisons though, he will not come out a better man. He plainly has mental health problems and he himself needs help that he won't get.

Northern Uganda messes with your head. The boundaries between villain and victim constantly blur. The LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) raid villages, kidnap children, and mutilate and rape the women. The anger and rage at such behavior gets tempered by the fact that the people doing these raids were themselves kidnapped from villages when they were younger.

It's a messed up situation.

I'll be over in Uganda in mid-October to launch the Heart of Uganda program. I'm sure there'll great successes over there, but they will be tempered by the fact that people like Flavia are still suffering