My sincere thanks to each participant,for sharing their stories and their often horrific journeys with us. Some are still trying to make sense of their new situation. Here is our first interviewee:
Robaka lives with her aunty Samira in Yida refugee camp.
The pictures below show her everyday activities and some of her sporting experiences with Green Kordofan.
Robaka says, ' I ran from Talodi on the 30/12/2011 because of the war, we spent one week in the forest, my father died and my mother went to Khartoum in search of work.
Lowering her head she muttered, 'I live here alone with my auntie Samira'.
Samira: ‘I took responsibility for my niece to relieve my brother who struggled to look after the little girl'.
Attempting a smile, she added ' You know, men don’t know how to look after little children'.
She then continued, 'Robaka’s father died, which is sad, and her mother struggled.She sought the support of my brother and asked him to look after her children so she could go and find work in Khartoum. He then asked me to look after the girl.
We never heard from her again!'
The Interviewer then turned to the young girl and asked her if she was enrolled in a school.
Robcca replied, ' I love to learn but I can’t afford to pay my school fees.
When I heard that the coach of Green Kordofan was registering girls for sports,
I immediately went and signed up for Green Kordofan and I'm really grateful to the people who are supporting me.'
Samira, speaking to Mr. Lallu, explainined how she became guardian to her niece and their later escape to the refugee camp . | |
We respected their wish not to talk about it.
The terror of the bombing of Talodi in December 2011 forced thousands to flee ; hundreds were reportedly killed in this action. It left many people like Samira still battling with their feelings of loss.
Despite their sadness we were amazed by the young girl's resilience and her enthusiasm in the playground. Below are some photos of her with her play mates.
The assault on Talodi reportedly killed hundreds of people, thousands were displaced.Those who managed to escape still refer to it as the Day of Doom.
For further links concerning the assault on Talodi - See BBC report at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15529551
Telegraph:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/9177672/Sudan-accuses-South-Sudan-of-backing-armed-rebel-groups.html
You can also see George Clooney's remarks on the issue in October 2010:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/8061480/George-Clooney-90-days-from-disaster-in-Sudan.html
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. You can also support our work in Yida, by donation, by sponsoring our Events, by Clicking here to get involved and help us reach more children.