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Through a Child’s Eyes
Life is difficult for South Sudanese children staying in Uganda’s refugee camps
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The eyes of the children tell the story. Haunted. Numb. Scared. Confused. Tired. Hungry. After days or weeks of travel, refugee children from South Sudan arrive exhausted at Imvepi Refugee Resettlement in Uganda. The civil war that has raged for almost four years has left their country in ruins. They fled hoping they'd finally find peace.
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Mothers cling to their children as they exit the bus and begin the long registration process. The first visit is always to the medical tent. Malnourished children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers are given yellow wrist bands to identify their status. The healthy receive a blue band.
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A New Family
Currently, Samaritan’s Purse is demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by providing food to more than 107,000 refugees living in Imvepi. Neena Atai, her children, and some family members are among them. They decided to make the journey to Uganda earlier this year. Along the road, like many families, they came across separated and orphaned children.
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For Neena, it wasn’t a difficult decision for the family to accept five orphans into their homes.
“I will take care of them,” Neena said. Though having extra mouths to feed is a daily challenge, there was no hesitation in her voice. These children were now hers, and she will take care of them until they can take care of themselves.
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A First-Time Father
John Ayume, 21, arrived with his mother Ella at Bidibidi Refugee Resettlement in November 2016. In addition to the meager items they possessed, the family also arrive in Uganda with five orphaned children they met on the road.
“There are a lot of separated children,” John said.
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A Close Bond
In July 2016, the fighting in South Sudan became particularly intense.
“Many innocent people have been killed,” Victor Alhaz said. It was after that July outbreak, that Victor and his family made the decision to leave South Sudan.
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“When the fighting erupted, my parents ran and so did we,” Viola said. “We don’t know where they are.”
On the road, Victor, his wife Rose, and their children met sisters Viola and Noela. The sisters were separated from their parents in South Sudan after fighting broke out in their community. At 18, Viola found herself taking care of her 12-year-old sister.
“When the fighting erupted, my parents ran and so did we,” Viola said. “We don’t know where they are.”
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“I’m excited because I was chosen by Samaritan’s Purse,” Victor said. “I call myself lucky because I know that many people wanted the seeds in the neighborhood.”
The refugees have hope that peace will one day return to South Sudan. When that day comes, there will be many celebrations as families are reunited.
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In the meantime, those caring for unaccompanied minors and orphaned children are doing the best that they can. There are those working to try and bring families back together, but with over a million refugees it remains difficult.