Restoring Dignity ~ The women in Africa

This is a speech that was given about the Women in Africa

When was the last time that someone told you, that you would be better off going some where and doing something else? It seemed that it would be ok but it still gnawed at your better judgement.  Only to find out that it wasn’t as good as you thought?  That you should have trusted your instincts!

The people of Northern Uganda were told that they needed to leave their homes and come together to form a bigger group of people and the government would protect them and provide support against the Rebels. These camps were called IDP Internally displaced people camps.  But what they found as they gathered was they were not protected, they lost there means of support and they were dependant on a government that would not be able to help them.  With all good intentions- these people were still greatly affected by trauma, physical, emotional and mental, caused from that war.

My main role on this trip was to provide training on healing touch to our group and well as scheduling it with Living Hope when we got there. 

Our time there was Whirlwind ….  We were going from sun up to sun down.

It wasn’t until I got home did I have time to reflect ….  And strangely enough  - the first thing that came to my mind was, on our last day of pampering at Living Hope, there was a bunch of women  that showed up with these purple shirts.   I thought was kind of strange considering the environment in Africa – that they all have the same t-shirt – and I was also thinking – they’re so cute – I want one.  These women had received these shirts at the opening of this facility.  Living Hope facility provides trauma counseling, spiritual discipleship, skills training and empowerment to raise their children and bring change to their communities.

I find it rather interesting that I brought home the thought of these t shirts   “Restoring Dignity to Vulnerable Women”  That was the saying on the t-shirts.

What I’m thinking is that these women are the spine of that country.

Restoring dignity – The definition of dignity is The state of being worthy of respect.  

Let’s backup – let me tell you about these women in Africa,  

Restoring Dignity to Vulnerable women – referring to the trauma they have experienced from the war. They really are no different then you or I and I don’t mean to make light of trauma but trauma is relative.  We all have our own definition.  Your trauma is different then your trauma.

Suubi Village – Suubi village is for widows and orphanages because of the war.  The mamma (with or with out their children) are given 6 – 8 orphanages to raise.  These boys were abducted to be rebel solders.  Chances are they killed their family, it was that or be killed and the girls were taken as wives or slaves.  At Suubi they are provided a home, clothing, food and schooling.  These mama’s need to embrace these orphanages as kids and raise them as kids despite all they (including the mama’s) have gone thru.

Restoring dignity

Living hope – our first day there we were suppose to pamper 72 women and only 59 showed up that day.  But word got around and by Friday – we had 72 signed up but we had over 120 women show up.  We only were able to do 108 that day.  By lunch break – which was a much needed break, it was hot, we had a lot of women still to pamper, I mentioned to our translator that we were going to take an hour break and to let the women know who had been sitting there since morning, if they needed to do something and go somewhere – they would have an hour to do that, so they didn’t have to wait for us.  The translator informed me that they traveled very far to get here (by foot or bike) and they would rather just wait.  And to add more injury to my guilt, when we did sit and eat – all the women and all the stuff they packed for the day, were no where to be seen.  We were left alone to eat and to rest. 

Restoring dignity

IDP camp – the women in the camps – some talked about the trauma that they went through.  One woman talked about her experience with the LRA.  While she was telling her story, she mentioned that her husband was absent during that time cause he was drinking.  She mentioned in brief and without anger or sarcasm.  It stuck with me because I know how would have acted in that situation.  We are not talking about when your spouse is out of town and you have to pickup the slack – we are talking about how she and her new born baby were abducted, and was beaten within inches of death.  And she took ownership for this event in her life. 

This woman at the age of 12, abducted and taken as a wife, refused to kill a little boy.  The little boy did die at the hands of others but she stood tall and said no. When I look at these women and what they went through.  Without any support what so ever.  The respect I have for them is so immense.  They weren’t sobbing, weeping, they weren’t a mess.  They seem to have control.   Life goes on.

Restoring dignity

These women have my respect.  Could any of us go thru what they did and function as they do?

Suubi Village – Polite, caring, welcoming

Living Hope – respectful, appreciative,

IDP – they were clean, sweep the dirt, they was no waste or junk lying around.

These people (mostly women and children) they were hoeing a field by hand, not a garden but a field.  They truly work the land. They weren’t asking for hand outs, they waved when you drove by.  They greeted with a smile and were so happy to share with us with what little they had.

Remember when I mentioned about listening to someone telling you about being better off………

Even though these women had no choice at the time - These women kept their wit about them.  They kept their values in tact.

Restoring dignity

I got my shirt.  I really wanted the purple shirt with the sparkles on it but this will do.  How fitting that I should be wearing this shirt.  By seeing these women that we pampered, by seeing and hearing these women at the IDP camps that have lost there children, who had to kill a family member with their own hands, husbands lost to the war – they are the ones working the fields, they are the ones raising their family, they are the ones supporting their family, 

They are the ones who experience trauma that we will never experience in our whole lives, ever in a million years.

Those shirts that they were wearing- we all need to be wearing them.  We need to wear them because we are the ones that need to work on The state of being worthy of respect

I bow down to these to these women; they have shown me so much,

It makes me think on how pathetic we are with the things that we have and things that we can do and all we want is more.  We don’t find what we have worthy, we don’t respect what we have, we are never satisfied.

I went on this mission trip to bring healing touch to these women – that was my mission/ that is my purpose in this world – to show my heart thru my hands.  But I went home with their heart in my hands

Where’s your shirt – I have mine!

Essential Oils and Africa

Recently I was fortunate to be part of a group of 20 people that went on a mission trip to Africa for 16 days. The group went over to offer support to a family that is there doing trauma counseling for the people affected by the war with the Lord's Resistance Army, a militant group that was based in Northern Uganda. We went to help with building swing sets, visit orphanages, discipleship at some IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps and to pamper the women at a facility called Living Hope. Living Hope also provides trauma counseling, spiritual discipleship, skills training and empowerment to raise their children and bring change to their communities.


When I first decided to bring the oils over to Africa ~ my first obstacle was how to get them over there without checking them. Also if I was to bring large quantities ~ would that cause me trouble at the airport.

My other decision was, what to bring? We went over and worked under a group that was doing trauma counseling. So ~ I needed to pick oils for trauma. Then I needed to add to that equation … us. I needed to bring oils that would protect us. The group of gals that were going to be part of the pampering group, had never done that sort of thing and I needed to think about fungal infections, lice, seeing the physical trauma of the women and the emotional aspect of administrating massage. I then wanted to include oils for travel and general well being.

As much as my intention was to use the oils on the people of Africa ~ I mainly used them for our group. The people of Africa are simple people that live off the land. The people in the bush already use some type of herbal remedies from their ancestors. We were the ones that needed the oils. We left our safe environment (USA) and went to a world of unknowns.

I did bring about 64 10ml oils along with pounds of tea tree, our therapeutic blend, a bug blend and my Thieves pure. I did check all the oils with no problems.

The oils that were used the most.

Tea tree ~ Melaleuca Alternifolia

• Lice ~ we started using tea tree in our hair about 2 weeks before we left. This was to ensure that the oil was in the shaft of the hair to help keep lice away. We brought the shampoo that had it in along and used it thru out the trip.
• Fungal ~ we made a spray bottle with water and tea tree and sprayed our hands before and after we touched a person. We added lavender to that to help with the odor, as well as making it a friendlier solution for our hands. We also used it as a disinfectant on surfaces.
• Open sores ~ any open sores that we came across we applied tea tree directly. We left a large amount at the facility that helps with medical checkups to use for open wounds, sores, and fungal applications

Lavender ~ Lavendula Officinalis

• A must have everywhere we went. It was used neat or mixed with most of the oils to relax, to deal with stress, wounds, sunburn and to integrate our spirituality into our day

Peppermint ~ Mentha Piperita

• Water ~ to keep my digestive system safe, 1 drop in a water bottle thru out the whole trip. When people had to take meds - I was fine.

Ravensara ~ Ravensara Aromatica

• Cold sore ~ a cold sore showed on one of the gals during the trip. She applied it neat to the sore until the tingle went away and then applied lavender until it healed.

Therapeutic Blend ~ this blend is a combination of eucalyptus, fir, lavender, rosemary, naiouli, peppermint and tea tree.

• This blend was chosen for its trauma properties; alleviating anxiety and stress, revives the spirit by bringing the higher and lower chakras into harmony, it clears thoughts while overcoming feelings of inferiority. Good for physically delicate individuals who struggle not only with their bodies but with the feelings of victimization.
• Trauma ~ made spray bottles of this blend with water and sprayed the area where the women placed their faces during their massage. This was also added to their hand/foot bath.
• It was also diffused in areas when we weren’t using it in other ways.

Peace and Calm blend ~ a blend of patchouli, orange, blue tansy, tangerine and ylang ylang extra.

• It promotes relaxation and a deep sense of peace, helping to dampen tensions and uplift spirits. It calms over-active and hard to manage children. The oils in the blend have historically been used to help reduce depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia.
• This blend for selfish reasons I brought for any unknowns that we come across. I would apply it straight to my hair in the morning.
• Crying baby ~ on the last leg to Africa, we had a crying baby on the plane. I think about 2 hours had gone by and the baby was still unsettled. I put Peace & Calm on my hands and touched his head with my hands and the baby calmed down right away. I explained to the father who I was and asked permission to put some oil on his blanket. The baby slept the rest of the 6 hours on the plane. The father was very grateful.

Bug Blend ~ Citronella, copaiba, lemongrass, cinnamon and geranium.

• Protection ~ I brought this blend for one of the gals was concerned about bed bugs. We mixed 3 drops with 4oz water and sprayed our beds.
• We also sprayed our thresholds, and around our beds and in the morning, our little friends were not moving.

Thieves Pure blend ~ a blend of the cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon, ravensara and rosemary.

• This blend used for immune protection.
• Roll on ~ used on the bottoms of feet.
• Inhaler ~ closed, contaminated areas
• And because of the cinnamon in this blend, diffusing it the air helped with insects.

This trip really brought these oils to the attention of the members of our group. I carried the oils every where we went and they were used daily by most everyone.

I did leave quantities of the tea tree and the therapeutic blend at Living Hope. The tea tree for treatment of fungal infections, sores and the therapeutic blend to diffuse in the areas that the women gather to help support what Living Hope is doing to help the women in Northern Uganda.