Brenda Erot Lochok

Why does this matter to me?

 I was inspired to join CIMISS in an advisory position by Amelia. Amelia has strong advocacy skills and insights, with a unique perspective that brings fresh and innovative solutions to the forefront.

Amelia has also demonstrated a dedication to learn more and work hard to accomplish her goals, and to use her skills to improve social circumstances for the populations that CIMISS will serve. Improved healthcare for women and children is paramount to improving society as women and children are the foundation for a community’s future. This program has the potential to positively shift the foundation of the communities it serves, by providing children with a strong start in life.

Therefore, I am offering my extensive experience in global behavioral health and social programs, my product/program management experience and word wizardry skills to provide consultation for CIMISS as an advisor on the board.

Why does this matter to me?

Amelia Amou Abiem and I first met each other in Kakuma Refugee camp where she taught us the alleluyah dance at Daniel Comboni Catholic Church. We, however, shared the journey to Ethiopia, the stay, and our subsequent escape to Kakuma after a civil war broke out in Gambella Ethiopia.

At Kakuma, we were of age and actively participating in church activities. I started admiring Amelia’s dedication for helping the girl child. She was so determined to train the girls to perform better despite the fact that she herself was young.

The life experiences I have gone through, and what I have seen my relatives, friends and neighbors go through, places this project at the top of my priority list. The situation in South Sudan can only be improved by launching humanitarian initiatives that can reach the grass-roots level where there are almost zero health care facilities. I am really happy to be part of CIMISS, and this noble organization’s focus on the core problems affecting women and children (e.g., saving lives during birth, infancy and early childhood) in South Sudan, because the right to life is the guarantee that you will enjoy other human rights.

Why does this matter to me?

In October 2010, at a small group meeting, a very pregnant teenager sat down next to me. I had recently finished a mentoring program for teen Mothers and struck up a conversation with her. In the following months and years that young woman, a South Sudanese refugee, would become like a little sister to me, and her daughter like my own child. While my family grew, I also gained a much deeper understanding of my own perceptions of the world and my place in it. I began to see how my field of vision excluded many people who were not like me; people who were not a part of my circle of life experience. The grievous truth was that for most of my adult life I had not truly seen the refugees in my community. In my mind, they were temporary members of our community, like the refugees I knew growing up, and did not require investigation. They were, for all intents and purposes, invisible. I simply did not see them; their faces, their hardship, their pain, their struggles, their deep need to be seen and valued. This ended when Abuk entered my life. I had a front row seat to her life experience and quickly saw how blind I had been. As I was confronted by her deep need I was challenged to stand in the gap. I was privileged to walk with her through the pregnancy, delivery, motherhood and mental illness. The experience impacted me to my core and motivates me to continue standing in the gap for many vulnerable and voiceless individuals.

Why does this matter to me?

I met Amelia Abiem in 2010, while working on a student research project for my Law, Societies & Justice studies at the University of Washington. The focus of my research was the Southern Sudanese Community of Washington (SSCW), an organization that worked to support the Seattle-area Southern Sudanese population.

What I observed during my time with this organization was SSCW’s commitment to balance intervention and support with empowerment. This was not always easy as there were distinct cultural orientations, values, and beliefs at play, which required all of us to embody sensitivity, empathy, flexibility, and respect for the diverse realities being encountered.  A long-term bonus, derived from my time at the SSCW, has been an enduring familial friendship with Amelia, and her sons and daughter. I feel blessed to have been drawn into Amelia’s orbit, and hope that my contributions to CIMISS will benefit the men, women, and children that this organization will work to support and empower.

Why does this matter to me?

I was born and raised in Sudan amidst violence. Even though I survived infant and child mortality-related deaths, many of my siblings and agemates did not. My mother, a traditional midwife herself, gave birth to twelve children and during wartime, contraceptives were not available.

Our communities were forced to leave their village due to a war that was ravaging our country. We walked from Sudan to Ethiopia, a journey where we lost many of our relatives to a mixture of bullets, mortar, animal attacks, drowning, lack of food, water, and lack of medical care. In Ethiopia, we briefly lived in a refugee camp, but we were forced again to leave this temporary haven due to a civil war between the government of Ethiopia and its rebels.

During this time, my mother was pregnant with twins and she gave birth in a war zone to her twins alone with the help of a six-year-old girl. The minor helped her by running outside in a blizzard of bullets to bring a sharp blade of grass for her to use to cut the baby’s umbilical cord. Unfortunately, one of the twins died due to infant-related death, and the other one died in her 20s due to mental health issues related to her birth circumstance and conditions. This taught me how important mental health is connected to the physical health of mothers and their children.

My experiences contributed to my desire to give back and understanding that a stronger education was needed for me to best contribute to my mission. In my early 20s, RefugePoint resettled me to the USA, where I chose to study towards a bachelor’s degree and eventually a master’s degree in social work. Currently I am also a doctoral candidate in the study of Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership.

I came of age amidst violence, hardship, and loss, but these difficulties and challenges do not define me, because I am a survivor. I understand loss, pain, social injustice, abuse, starvation, fear, and uncertainty, but I also understand the power of caring and compassion and how these offer hope in what can seem like hopeless situations. This is not where my story of loss, starvation, and survival ends. It has transformed into a story of hope, perseverance, and a return to South Sudan to engage in collaborative projects with other stakeholders within this newly formed nation-state to curb infant, maternal, and child mortality rates.

Why does this matter to me?

I’ve known Amelia Abiem since 2009 when I first volunteered with the Southern Sudanese Community of Washington. Her story and friendship inspires me to do more for both the Southern Sudanese refugee community within the United States, and in South Sudan. Education truly is a key to survival and that is what CIMISS aims to provide women and communities in South Sudan. I worked for Seattle Children’s Hospital for over ten years in Grant and Contracts, and I now work as a writer in TV production. I hope to be a mentor as well as a student with the refugee community and help lift their voices and empower them to write their own stories and to live longer, healthier lives!