A Place of Refuge
Daniel was on the run at 17, he was searching for safety and a community that cared, he found it
Daniel found solace in a community that embraced him, supported his dreams, and helped him break free from a life of violence.
At the age of 17 years, Daniel Arok*, was on the run from his family.
He was running – not because he did something wrong – but because his father insisted that he marry a 25-year-old girl. Daniel refused multiple times because he was underage and told his family he wanted to choose who he marries. He dreamt of pursuing his academic studies, but his father refused.
In places of instability like South Sudan, child marriage is all too common. Although usually, it is young girls who get married to older men, there are always exceptions. Daniel ran away and stayed away from home in hopes of avoiding violence against him. If he hadn’t, the forced marriage and violence would continue.
After trying on his own, Daniel reached out to Tearfund’s Church partner, where a trauma healing group takes place. The Bishop there worked hard to talk with Daniel’s parents, and they ended up allowing Daniel to attend.
Although the situation is still difficult, the church has become a place of refuge for Daniel and others who face trauma and violence. With your help, Tearfund and the local church have provided a community that seeks to heal together through Biblically-based trauma healing.
For Daniel, the journey forward is hard and often filled with worry, but the community he has found at the local church has done a lot to help prepare him for the journey. Daniel shares, “I was comforted by the church as a result of their intervention, and now I am going on with my studies at school.”
We thank you for your support of programs like the trauma healing group that Daniel attends. Because of this support, Daniel shares that he is “free from the stress caused by his father.”
