African refugees take care of their children with the hope that their offsprings will rule Africa one day.

CHILDREN COME FIRST

From the time they are being formed in their mothers' wombs, children in the central part of Africa mean a lot to their parents. The news of the pregnancy travels quickly in the midst of the relatives, including father, mother, siblings, uncles, aunts, grand-fathers and grand-mothers. As the news travel, they are accompagnied by great caution.

Africans believe very much in the power of witchcraft. News of the pregnancy should not reach dangerous men and women in the village; otherwise these dangerous persons will mobilize all the dark forces of midnight to come and smother the foetus in its womb.

CAN THAT BE POSSIBLE IN AMERICA?

"You bet!" Carine Aicha (35), a Sudanese refugee in Des Moines says. Though she is a devout christian, Aicha believes in something else.

For Sudanese refugees, the power to protect their children derives from the mixture of African charms and Christian or Islamic prayers

"Witches' power has no frontier," she explains. "It can move through space and time as freely as any spirit can."

As a result, Aicha like, many African refugees protect by any means their children. Some order special charms of protection from Africa; some, on top of Chritian or Islamic prayers, wash their children with "yellow water"--natural water mixed up with mysterious powder.

Some spit on the faces of their kids while reciting names and favors of their departed loved ones; some inflict on their children's bodies very small tattoos by mixing up their blood with mysterious black ashes.

WILDERNESS

Andre Kapati (44), an Angolan refugee, thinks all these practices make sense. He dismisses any criticism against them and argues, "When we say that America is a melting pot, we mean that wolves and sheeps live out there.

"A kid who goes out of his home in the morning can be hit by a car, be shot dead by gang members, be raped by some sexual predators, or be caught in a wrong place at a wrong time

"America is different from Africa. In Africa, all the community watches over the kids. However, in America, every one is busy with his life.

"When you are in trouble, people can call the police. In Africa, people start by helping you before the police intervene. That is why I say outside our homes in this country is not different from a wilderness."

The older Carine babysitting Joshua. The education of refugees' children is the responsibility of the whole community.

As a result, children have to strictly obey their parents. Most refugees asked about abusing their children who disobey them refuse to comment for fear of being exposed to police.

"Those things are internal issues," Aime Minega, a head of non-governmental organization that helps refugees, says. "However children are disciplined in our community is a private business. What we avoid is to see our children becoming a failure in their future."

AFRICANS BORN IN AMERICA ARE FUTURE LEADERS

Most of African refugees asked about the dreams of their future say their dreams are located in their children.

"I am 35 with five children, why should I spend the rest of my life dreaming?" Aicha asked. "Looking after my children and taking care of my marriage count most."

Aicha says if there is any dream at all in her life, it is a dream located in her children.

"I want them to be lawyers, doctors, judges, politicians and managers," she says. "I want them to study while their father and I work in factories. I want them to go one day in Africa and be presidents, ministers, and powerful men and women."

Minega agrees with her. "Our hopes are founded on our children. They are the ones who will save Africa one day. They needed to take advantage of their stay in America and get educated as much as they can.

"Most older refugees don't think they should go back to school and compete for degrees with their children. Their time has passed, but Africa is still languishing in its chaos, and it needs our children."