20/06: We Listen to the Small Voice
The Harvard Divinity School Bulletin arrived in my mailbox this week with an absolutely terrific essay, "Listening to the Small Voice: Toward an Orphan Theology" by Elizabeth J. A. Siwo-Okundi. A holder of a Master of Theology degree from Harvard, and of a Master of Divinity Degree from Boston University, Ms. Siwo-Okundi tells of her field work in an orphanage in her Kenyan homeland, and all that that has led to.
She writes: "It is widely argued that traditional African societies did not have 'orphans,' since the care of children whose parents had died was generally absorbed in one of many ways: by the kinship group/extended family, through various forms of marriage, by the greater community, and through other creative and socially acceptable arrangements . ... Traditional arrangements assumed the stability of the kinship group/extended family and community. They also assumed random and sporadic death, not deaths on a massive scale, from numerous causes." In South Sudan, 21 years of civil war has wreaked havoc on traditional families and their ability to care for children. And so we see street kids wandering Aweil.
In the Old Testament, "God is depicted as having extraordinary concern for the orphans and widows of the time, and demanding that the people also share and act upon that concern." In her article Ms. Siwo-Okundi writes in detail about orphans and widows mentioned in the Bible. And she calls for an "orphan theology ... to provide space for {orphans'} voices to be heard in conversation with biblical orphans, thereby encouraging oral retellings of their own experiences. The voices of African children are critical in a small voice engagement; this cannot be a theological conversation confined to academic circles."
Village Help for South Sudan is a secular organization, but many things that Ms. Siwo-Okundi writes about resonate with our experience. We do have a call to help the helpless. We also want orphans' small voices to be heard. Telling their stories, when they are ready to do so, will help bring healing, and our plans will include the kind of group discussions that facilitate this healing.
I also think Village Help for South Sudan can learn some practical lessons from Ms. Siwo-Okundi also about best practices in this endeavor. We'll be networking with her and with others who are listening to those small voices, alone on the African streets.
She writes: "It is widely argued that traditional African societies did not have 'orphans,' since the care of children whose parents had died was generally absorbed in one of many ways: by the kinship group/extended family, through various forms of marriage, by the greater community, and through other creative and socially acceptable arrangements . ... Traditional arrangements assumed the stability of the kinship group/extended family and community. They also assumed random and sporadic death, not deaths on a massive scale, from numerous causes." In South Sudan, 21 years of civil war has wreaked havoc on traditional families and their ability to care for children. And so we see street kids wandering Aweil.
In the Old Testament, "God is depicted as having extraordinary concern for the orphans and widows of the time, and demanding that the people also share and act upon that concern." In her article Ms. Siwo-Okundi writes in detail about orphans and widows mentioned in the Bible. And she calls for an "orphan theology ... to provide space for {orphans'} voices to be heard in conversation with biblical orphans, thereby encouraging oral retellings of their own experiences. The voices of African children are critical in a small voice engagement; this cannot be a theological conversation confined to academic circles."
Village Help for South Sudan is a secular organization, but many things that Ms. Siwo-Okundi writes about resonate with our experience. We do have a call to help the helpless. We also want orphans' small voices to be heard. Telling their stories, when they are ready to do so, will help bring healing, and our plans will include the kind of group discussions that facilitate this healing.
I also think Village Help for South Sudan can learn some practical lessons from Ms. Siwo-Okundi also about best practices in this endeavor. We'll be networking with her and with others who are listening to those small voices, alone on the African streets.
