Wycliffe an Juliet (rt) with their ‘Tribe”
Last October, Executive Director Wycliffe Mudavadi made the 2-hour drive to Vihiga County with his wife to comfort his sister (with 6 children at home) when her husband suddenly died. African Funerals are often a 4-day, “drop everything and show up so they won’t talk evil about you” event in Kenya.
GBV has many faces, one of them is the evil Tradition of forcibly “retrieving” a deceased male relatives possesions.
This heinous crime happens right after the man is buried . . .
It work like this:The deceased male relatives–often having been well-fed and housed for 2-3 days by the hosting Widow–gather to inventory and divide up ALL of the property–including land, home, clothing and other assets. Then, based on some tribal formula, the uncles, cousins, and brothers take their share–sometimes persuaded by fisticuffs. Without a glance they leave the mother and children in the road with nothing. Although it is illegal, a woman–even if she was an honored pastor’s wife– beloved by her church, has no rights to claim what she and her husband have worked for.
“Without a thread of guilt, the ‘mourners’ leave the mother and children in the road with nothing. This “tradition” is one of the 2 reasons why Africa always has plenty of orphans for Americans to support. These abandoned women and children are the source for much of the growing industry of African trafficking. These victims have already fallen into despair by a lawman looking the other way. Harvesting those cast-aside into their “product line” is easy. The second reasonis another primeval codal practice: Allowing a man to disgard his wife AND “her” CHILDREN–for a better, more worshipful wife. Simply by writing a note of divorce. The only way to cure Africa of these misogynistic atrocities is the break the code by transforming the man inside out.” — Art Hobba
A Testimony: PBL’s volunteers have made it a priority to be a first responder when a man in our PBL ‘Family’ of 120 families dies. We ned to mpove fast. We know this for we got there too late the first time.
But Wycliffe was ready. When the ‘gang’ of men made their move, he stood like a rock at the door of his sister’s home and yelled out, “No one comes into my dead brother’s home–except over my dead body!” Our men have done this before–and always at a high risk to life and limb.
In the crowd stood an elderly, heavy-set, well-dressed man. His eyes were filled with tears.
After the situation passed, the man made his way to Wycliffe and Juliet–commending him for his courage.
“I’ve never seen anyone do that,” he said, “Tell me why.”Wycliffe told him about our code at PBL, “No family left behind,” he said. One day we want to train millions of Kenyan men with new godly values–to protect their family from the grave if need be–and help prepare the couple to legally protect their children, assets and future.”
“Tell me more about this PBL–by the way my name is Wilbur Ottichilo, I’m the Governor of Vihiga County.”As they walked together, the Governor, 73, said, “You know Wycliffe, one of my deepest fears in my life is that the men in my family will strip my wife of our home and possessions”–again tears came unbidden–” lets work together to find a way we can help make my county a place where that can’t happen again.”
Help PBL’s men to intervene by cutting off the “product” supply line of the slave trade at its source–the broken man. It takes mobilizing and money beyond our sphere of our volunteer workers and their families. There is a way to stop this through our program and it WORKS.
Email me to learn more.
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