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A Mother's Resilience: Pelagie Adoum's Path to Safety and Stability
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June 20, 2024Pelagie Adoum, a resilient mother of six from the Central African Republic, fled to Cameroon to escape the terror of rebel violence. For 10 long years, she lived there, hoping for safety, until conditions became perilous once again. In a moment of salvation, Americans rescued Pelagie and her three younger children, bringing them to the United States. They arrived in Oklahoma City on Feb. 15, a date etched in Pelagie’s heart. Although she didn’t choose her destination, Pelagie knew Cameroon was no longer safe.
“I was very happy when I got to the United States,” she says, her voice filled with relief, through a French translator.
With the compassionate support of Catholic Charities, her younger children, aged 13, 10, and 9, found a new beginning. Just a week after arriving in Oklahoma, they were enrolled in school. Catholic Charities also helped Pelagie find housing and secure food stamps. Though the transition to the U.S. has been challenging, Pelagie says she’s never once thought about returning to her home country.
“No, that never crossed my mind,” she says firmly, her determination shining through.
Next week, she will embark on another journey to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where two dear friends, whom she lovingly calls her “brothers,” await her. She also has a job interview at a slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility there, a stepping stone toward a stable future.
Pelagie’s deepest wish is for her three older children to join her in the United States. She worries about their safety daily and dreams of the moment she can secure a stable job to help bring them over.
“I’d like my life to be a little easier and to be able to take care of my kids, including the ones still in Central Africa,” she says, her voice filled with hope. “Then, I will have peace of mind.”
In the meantime, she draws unwavering strength from her Christian faith, just as she did during her years in Cameroon.
“It’s from God. I get strength from God when I’m praying,” she says, her faith a beacon of light in her new life.
