The Angels of Kabul
by Italian Army Ten. Col. Steffano Sbaccanti.
KABUL, Afghanistan (March 16, 2013) - Sister Fortunata from Rwanda, Sister Mary Bette from the Philippines, Sister Alberta from Bangladesh, Sister Suzel from India and Sister Judy Clarisse from Kenya. These are the names of the nuns of Mother Teresa of Calcutta who have been working in Kabul since 2004 to support sub-normal children and about 280 families in extreme poverty. The total number of people benefiting from their help reaches about 1800 persons.
Local citizens in Kabul call them the "nuge" meaning "the angels of heaven" that look after the abandoned, the least important, the poorest. With their constant and humble work the sisters have become an integral part of the local population.
We arrive at their location early in the morning, the temperature is close to zero but the sun is promising. Their place is in the center of Kabul, in a block along a semi-paved road, with stalls full of things on both sides. Sister Fortunata greets us at the door with a beautiful smile, she invites us to enter and introduces us to the sisters.
It’s a two-story house with very small rooms. Some quarters are cold because the nuns heat them only when needed, to save gas. Near the entrance there is a slightly larger room where the sisters gather the children to tell them about our visit. There are some toys and pillows on the ground to create make the environment a little more comfortable.
"These are our children," said Fortunata. "We do not know who their families are. They were found on the streets and brought to us." She is referring to 8 children with a history of abuses and violence in their young lives. With an IQ below 50 they are completely dependent on the loving care of Sister Fortunata and the others.
As if taking care of the kids was not enough, every 15 days the sisters pay a visit to some local families, bringing a food pack consisting of rice, flour, sugar, beans, tea and oil for each. If the family has more than 5 members the amount doubles.
We continue our visit upstairs. There’s a sleeping area, a small kitchen and a room-warehouse where the nuns are storing the materials they receive and eventually distribute to those in need. The beds are made of wood and some have additional protection to prevent children from falling off or getting hurt. It is not easy to get new bedding and many have been modified to accommodate the growth of children. "We can do what we do thanks to the generosity of public and private institutions and to the funds that we receive from the Order of Mother Teresa in Rome," said Fortunata. In the storage-room there are a few boxes of used clothes, paper towels, slippers, shoes and little else. "We need whatever people can give us," says sister Fortunata, "clothes, diapers, cleaning supplies and for personal hygiene, food and, of course, money. Nothing is superfluous and everything is important to bring some relief to those in need."
Even the Italian soldiers that have spent their tour of duty in Kabul have become aware of the importance of these "women of God", and contingent after contingent have donated something to the Angels of Kabul. The Soldiers know that through the nuns they can help the most suffering part of the Afghan population.
The clock shows we have been visiting for half-hour. We do not want to intrude further and head towards the stairs to exit. When we reach the ground floor some of the children who have grown accustomed to our presence wave us good-bye. Before exiting their premises we noted that outside there is a swing, the only available entertainment.
Sister Fortunata and the others thank us for visiting and invite us to come back soon. We leave with watery eyes and feel a little richer inside.
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