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Gloria Pierre Dean
A fictional story about a young
girl who was violently orphaned
and then trafficked. Her brief
story relates to how she was
rescued and taken to a safe
place by Christians.
A
fter living in an arid
sub-Saharan desert all
my young life, imagine
my joy at seeing this vast
expanse of green grass before
me. There were no armed
guards here. Instead, I saw
people lounging on the grass.
They were enjoying this sunny
day. Some had picnic baskets,
and some were talking to each
other or asleep on the green. In
the distance, dogs chased each
other playfully. No one seemed
afraid.
Let me tell you about myself.
My name is Naimie. I grew up
in an impoverished village.
Everyone lived in mud huts.
Women and girls walked to the
local wadi or river many times
a day to collect water. It was
not clean water. Many people
got sick. We dug holes in the
land around the wadi and
DOZ Magazine | September 2019
planted corn and other food
crops when we could.
Sadly, one day, my family were
all killed by raiders. They came
with guns at night while we
were asleep. We could hear the
screaming of our neighbors
and the invaders yelling orders.
“Back against the wall! Now!”
Then the sound of gunfire.
I hurriedly hid under a bed
in a prepared space, so I was
not found. After that, I lived
with a widow aunt, who had
been injured. Weeks later, due
to poverty at her home, I was
sent out to beg for food in the
streets. I would go begging
daily.
Unfortunately, one day, I was
captured by an unkind man.
For ten years, he used me as
a servant but also in sexual
ways to men who paid him. I
6
remember crying and hurting a
lot. I missed my family.
I had to take medicine to stop
becoming pregnant. I felt so
much pain and grief.
My life changed again when
one day, two white men came
to my capturer’s house and
purchased me from him.
They had kind faces, and I
was so happy when they told
me that they were Christian
missionaries. They told me that
they were Jim and Phil who
worked for Christian Rescue.
So, I was rescued from the
traffickers in Sudan. I will
tell you that those ten years
of my life was filled with
unimaginable horror. I was
fifteen years old when I was
rescued.
“We want you to know God
loves you,” they said to me