Braving the journey of new status

By Monica Anguparu, Emergency Response Coordinator, CARE Uganda

Suzan Ropani was the first person that caught my eye when we arrived at Rhino Camp; a refugee settlement in northern Uganda about 110 km away from the South Sudan boarder with the northwest part of Uganda. Even though there were hundreds of people all busy with different activities of roofing temporary shelters, fixing water taps and installing tanks, Suzan stood out from the crowd, and it was because of her looks; short, dark skinned, and with an empty gaze.     

Since July 2016 over 240,000 South Sudanese have fled to Uganda, including the 37-year-old mother of five, because of the recent outbreak of violence in and around Juba.  To get into neighboring Uganda many families walked across the border, often risking abduction or attack by armed groups. Some were even forced to enter Uganda through the Democratic Republic of Congo where conflict also prevails as they were prevented from crossing into Uganda by armed groups in South Sudan. Today, more than one million refugees fled the conflict seeking shelter in neighboring countries.

When I entered the refugee settlement, where approximately 10,000 people arrived during the last weeks, Suzan and her family were sitting under a big tree checking their luggage to ensure nothing was left behind. “We haven’t received any food yet except porridge in the mornings,” was one of the first things Suzan’s ten-year-old daughter told me when I approached the family. “There is no space to play…we brought our small goats from South Sudan, hoping they will reproduce to ensure we get money for our school fees,” she added.

Susan brought the family's small goats to Uganda to earn some money for school fees for her children. (Photo: CARE)

For Suzan, it is the second time living in exile in Uganda. She was educated here and got a certificate in construction. Suzan first lived in the country in the 1990s and repatriated to Southern Sudan in 2008. Back in South Sudan, Suzan was earning almost 50 US Dollars a day on good days which is rare for women who normally earn a quarter of this per month or are kept at home to fulfil household duties. “Now that I am in Uganda again I cannot dream of getting this kind of money,” she said. As a refugee in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, with a family to support, Suzan is relying on support from humanitarian organizations like the UN Refugee Agency, CARE and others. Suzan tells me; “at least we are safe here, there are no gun shots, no rebels. And people are helping us by talking to us and guiding us through these difficulties.”

Focusing on women and girls, CARE has been working in Rhino Camp supporting South Sudanese refugees since February 2014; concentrating on sexual and reproductive health, including the prevention, care and support of survivors of gender based violence, providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene and the construction of shelters for the most vulnerable refugees. CARE is currently sourcing funds to scale up its response to support the new arrivals.

The conflict has entirely re-shaped the prospects for Suzan’s family. For her there is only one desire left: “I knew that when I came to Uganda I would be alive,” says Suzan. “But that is not enough. We need to be able to stay alive here. We need food and seeds for planting. We have nothing, just our goats and a strong hope that they will bring us wealth again,” she adds.