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Sr. Rosemary was called to come and see some newly returned abducted girls with babies that she might be able to help. When she got to Atiak (west of Gulu on the border of Sudan, which was ruined by the LRA as they passed through on the way from Sudan to Uganda to abduct children), she asked to see the girls. 150 girls with over 100 babies came out!
Now she had a serious problem: which 10 of these girls should she help?
Rosemary decided that she could not walk away from 140 girls and their babies. At that instant she saw the need to expand St. Monica’s to help them all, “even if we have to teach them under the trees.”
Thus, the expansion idea was born. Using funds raised from the CNN Heroes Award, Rosemary has purchased a 12-acre plot at Atiak. Her vision is to ultimately create a replica of the current, successful St. Monica facility there with three classroom blocks, nursery facilities, staff housing, guest facilities (having guests who assist doing short-term mission work and leave to become advocates is still the prime fundraising work of St. Monica’s), a hall for workshops, a kitchen and store, a clinic and solar electric generator capacity.
The plan also includes equipping the facilities for the girls with beds, cribs, cooking utensils and other living essentials. The teaching equipment includes sewing machines, computers, and other supplies.
A very small restaurant where the catering students can train and also earn some money for the school is envisioned as well.
Finally, since Rosemary is so involved in peacemaking due to the terrible experiences of her children, she hopes that the hall can also be used as a peace center, being strategically located near the Sudan border where many cross and where efforts for peace in the entire Northern Uganda/Sudan/Congo region can logically take place.
This vision is for the future of the traumatized girls returning from sex slavery in the bush with the soldiers of the Lord’s Resistance Army. Please help Sister Rosemary help these wounded, beautiful children!