Against all odds: Elizabeth's journey
After years of violence in South Sudan, Elizabeth fled with her children to the safety of Uganda. Thanks to the Khayamandi Foundation's support and MAF's life-saving flights, she found protection, work and above all new hope.
The murder of her husband in a mass shooting and a subsequent rebel attack on their home forced Elizabeth into a fateful decision: she had to flee to save her own life and the lives of her five children.
In March 2022 she arrived at the Rhino refugee settlement. Her future was uncertain. On top of the trauma of the past lay the heavy responsibility of providing for her family. In the office of the school run by MAF partner the Khayamandi Foundation, Elizabeth told her story. Her modesty and determination moved the staff, who offered her a job as a cleaner – work below her qualifications, but for Elizabeth a lifeline. "Even though I earned very little, it helped me provide for my children," she recalls.
Her commitment later led to a post as a teacher at the school. "I live from day to day. I do not know what the future holds, but I am grateful for the chance the New Life School gave me," Elizabeth says.
Her story is not an isolated case. It stands for the worries and hopes of countless South Sudanese women in the Rhino Refugee Settlement – a place where community, support and vital help such as that from Khayamandi and MAF make the decisive difference. Herbert Niwahereza, managing director of the Khayamandi Foundation, says: "MAF is a lifesaver for us. Being able to reach these remote places with them makes a huge difference."
