Abductions by Joseph Kony’s rebel army have contributed to thousands of missing children throughout East and central Africa. This is a story of one still missing.
Ajok Helen with her son, Komakech
Ojok Patrick was abducted by the LRA in 2000, when he was 11 years old. His mother, Ajok Helen, remembers him being hardworking and passionate about everything he did. On the night of his abduction, Patrick had left his mother’s home and was sleeping at his grandmother’s house.
Helen woke up the following morning to the sad news of her son’s abduction. “When I heard the news, I felt like someone had just pierced through my heart with a sharp knife.” She learned the details of what happened through her stepchildren, who were spared from abduction.
Helen remembers her son through his brother.
“His younger brother, Komakech, looks like him. They have the same features. Whenever I feel so sad and helpless, I look at Komakech and remember him.” Helen adds that Patrick had dreamed of becoming a teacher.
She says her life feels so empty knowing that Patrick could still be out there, feeling as helpless as she does. “My son did not commit any crime, why does someone heartless come and take him captive?” she said with tears in her eyes. Her only message to Patrick is for him to come back home if he is still alive.
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