Ouna Assali: A Woman Who Exemplifies Resilience
Ouna Assali is the mother of five beautiful children, whom she has raised on her own ever since her husband abandoned the family several years ago.
To complicate this already-challenging situation, Ouna’s third daughter, Madina, unexpectedly contracted cerebral malaria. Within a short amount of time her life completely changed as she first lost the ability to walk, then to sit, dress herself, or even eat and drink without Ouna’s constant support. After Madina had recovered from the worst of the malaria, Ouna decided to enrol her in a rehabilitation programme at the hospital in her city hoping that she could regain some level of independence, but unfortunately she had to leave the programme after only a few sessions due to a lack of financial resources.
This is when Ouna and her children were connected with The Leprosy Mission. The project manager of TLM’s Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme in the region heard about Madina’s situation and made sure that they took on her case. This CBR programme seeks to help children with disabilities and their families, focusing on four primary areas: awareness, mobility assistance, education/vocational training, and opportunity to generate income, so Madina was the perfect candidate.
Indeed, the programme has supported Ouna and her children in several ways as she has worked to regain stability. When her financial situation was at its worst, for example, Ouna asked the programme to help her to obtain a donkey, which they did. This allowed her to bring in bundles of firewood from the field, which she could sell to save money for millet. Just a few months later, the rainy season arrived, and she requested a plough to help cultivate a large field in which to grow the millet. The programme provided this as well.
Today, with the help of her donkey and plough, Ouna has harvested crops of millet and peanuts, and is far better equipped to provide for her five children. Madina’s condition has greatly improved, and the donkey makes it easier for her to get around the farm. Indeed, despite extreme hardship, Ouna has worked tirelessly to make sure her children are well cared-for; every step of the way, she has shown remarkably tenacity in finding the resources she needs and putting them to the best use that she can. For others who may feel overwhelmed by their circumstances, Ouna’s life is an encouragement that no matter what setbacks and barriers you may run up against, it is always possible to find a way forward!