Sabuli’s Journey to Promote a Better Life
Sabuli Sanguma, Co-Founder, The Sanguma Foundation
Sabuli's Personal Journey
On December 25, 1998, Sabuli celebrated Christmas at her local church in the Congo when her church was bombed. With her husband, Mossai Sanguma, in the United States studying, Sabuli had no option but to navigate the harsh realities of war while taking care of her five children alone. As bombing and fighting continued in her city, Gemena, Sabuli decided to run and find refuge in the forest then to stay and allow the war to take her family. "In the middle of the night, after weeping and praying, I decided that I would rather die trying to escape this war than to stay here and let my family die." Throughout the night and late into the afternoon, Sabuli and her children walked away from Gemena, about 18 miles, until they found refuge in a small village in the middle of the forest.
After several months of hiding and seeing the fighting inch closer to where her family was staying, Sabuli made the brave choice to smuggle her family out of the Country, knowing well the risk of being caught and killed. "Through God, I know that all is possible, and if we die, we die, but I cannot sit here and do nothing and let my children die." On a typical day, it would take about 8 hours to travel from Gemena to Zongo, a bordering city to the Central African Republic. Only preparing for a day worth of trip, Sabuli and her five children took the dangerous journey of escaping the Country. The journey from Gemena to Zongo took a week. During that journey, Sabuli and her children were exposed to the harsh realities of war. At every city checkpoint, they were searched and threatened with machine guns pointed at their face. It seems as if in every village or town they would pass, they would see the remains and casualties of innocent people left from the destructions of the soldiers. "All I can think and pray was God, please don't let this happen to my family, even animals are not treated this way."
After an unimaginable journey that took five months from her church bombing, Sabuli, and her children escaped to the United States, where they were reunited with Mossai. After Mossai finished his studies, Sabuli and Mossai felt called to return to the Congo and contribute to the reconciliation and rebuilding of the Country. "Going back to the Congo and leaving my children in America was a calling from God. God wanted me to go back to do his work." In 2002, Sabuli and Mossai left their four children in the states to continue their education, and they went back to the Congo with their youngest son.
The Start of the Sabuli Children Center
In 2007, Oliver was born to a single mother. Shortly after giving birth to Oliver, his mother passed away, and his uncle took the responsibility of providing for him. With limited resources and support, and after a month of sleepless nights trying to care for Oliver, his uncle abandoned and left Oliver for dead at a gravesite. One evening, children playing near the gravesite heard Oliver's cry and took him to a hospital where he was cared for by a group of mothers at a nearby hospital. At the hospital, Oliver met Sabuli, who personally took care of him and, shortly after, dedicated her life to creating a haven for vulnerable children facing a similar experience.
Sabuli first started to feed abandoned or orphaned children that were living in the streets of Gemena. "They were coming to me, and I started to connect with them and started to see them as my children." More children began to come to her looking for the personal connection and the refuge she provided. "When I visited America, I saw how good God was taking care of my children. When I came back to the Congo, I knew that these children were God's children, and I needed to take care of them. That day I invited them to stay with me. I did not know that today, it will become an orphanage." Today the Sabuli's Children provides 140 children abandoned or orphaned with a safe home, loving care, healthcare, and education.
Why our Partnership Matters
Sabuli and Oliver's story has inspired The Lobiko Initiative's commitment to work towards a world where every person has the opportunity to lead a life of wellbeing and to be part of a thriving community. Their story reminds us that even amid darkness, there is hope. We believe that, through partnership, we can turn hope into reality by co-creating an environment where the basic needs of children and youth are met, where children are holistically equipped to be leaders of their communities, and where children can thrive in a community that has access to opportunities. We are excited about our partnership with the Sanguma Foundation in the Congo. We know that together we will turn hope into reality.
