Having lost her husband when armed conflict between the government and rebels spilled into her community of Nadiangere, Nyamuse Gidamu and her family fled to Maruko, South Sudan.
Nyamuse and her family took nothing with them when they fled. Even the most meagre possessions, like blankets, pots, dishes, utensils, water containers, cups, and agricultural tools, were left behind in the panic to escape.
Terrified, they traveled day and night for four days, not knowing the way to their destination. When resting, they would hide in the bushes. At night they lay awake and were in constant fear for their lives, alert to the sounds of snakes and lions.
“We had no future for our children because we escaped from one problem to another,” says Nyamuse.
Arriving in Maruko, they discovered that they had no access to a market, let alone money to buy necessities. For example, without access to sanitary pads, the women didn’t know what to do when their menstrual cycle occurred. Evenings were spent collecting firewood to keep them warm at night because they had no blankets for warmth or protection from mosquitos. Lying on the ground, huddled with her family beside the dying fire, Nyamuse still had the tenacity to thank God for her life.
Today, as a result of emergency relief support from HOPE International Development Agency in partnership with the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC), Nyamuse and her family have access to agricultural tools for cultivating crops, food items, soaps, and other necessities. They are doing much better.
There are many challenges ahead for families like Nyamuse’s, but HOPE, along with MCIC, will continue to identify ways to improve the quality of life for families who have lost everything.
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