A few days ago, we met Francisco, a 90 year old Rwandan refugee living in Uganda. Francisco has spent the past 25 years in a refugee camp. He lives alone. And now that he’s gotten older, his needs are different – he has a hard time caring for himself and ensuring that he gets enough food and water.
Despite his own challenges, Francisco has done something remarkable – he’s taken in someone else. A young boy who was also on his own. Instead of turning the other way, Francisco saw an opportunity to step in and shelter this boy in whatever way he could.
When we visited Francisco on Day 58, we saw that he was missing a few basic things. So for today, we’re doing a return visit – and showing a little extra love to someone whose heart is so big!
One of our ARC teammates, Jacques, has made a connection with Francisco when we first met him. Jacques is from Rwanda, and so is Francisco. They got to talking, and it turns out that Francisco knew Jacque’s grandparents and great grandparents from years ago! They chatted about stories, people, and places they both knew. Jacque was moved by the connection.
“It was so meaningful for me to talk to him,” said Jacques. “It’s like a connection to home. I saw how he was living and my heart went out to him.”
When it rains in Uganda and the clouds come out, it can get pretty chilly. And Francisco didn’t have any boots, warm pants, or a sweater to keep him warm. He also didn’t have a mattress to sleep on a night. So along with Jacques, we got him a mattress, a blanket, clothes, and boots to help keep him just a little more comfortable. It was time someone took care of him for a change.
“Thank you so much, God bless you!” said Francisco. He doesn’t show a lot of emotion, but he shook Jacque’s hand heartily and was beaming with pride.
“I have so much love for older people in these conditions,” said Jacques. “I knew I wanted to do something for him.”
