Dateline ACT

Sudan 0104

Photo essay: Sudan

To hope again ...

Jabul Aulia IDP Camp & Wau, Sudan, April 1, 2003--Around six years ago, the combined effects of a decades-long civil war, occasional, but disastrous flooding, and famine brought untold hardship to the people of the four states of Bahr el Ghazal. Populated by people who were completely dependent on the land for their survival, tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes and villages. (The main group of people of this region is the semi-nomadic Dinka who traditionally make a living off their livestock and smaller groups such as the Fertid and Jur who are traditionally farmers.) Not only escaping the conflict, people also had to face the enormous challenge of finding food. Many of those who had abandoned everything found shelter in Wau, the capital city of the region, or in camps such as Jabul Aulia near Khartoum in the government-controlled areas.

People who had been internally displaced arrived in Wau with stories of extreme hardship - many were starving when they first arrived in the city, having existed on wild fruit and herbs. Many people also died along the way.

Members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International for several years through ACT appeals funded relief-related activities in camps that were set up to offer shelter to people made destitute by the war and the famine. These activities included health and medical support, food security and agricultural programs and projects related to transition from emergencies, which were implemented by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Sudan Council of Churches (SCC), both ACT members through local churches.

Long after the appeals closed, and now with a fragile peace in place in at least southern Sudan (the Darfur region in the western part of the country is caught up in violence and conflict), many people are thinking of going home ... to start over and rebuild their lives.

Dreams for the future

Tens of thousands of people who found refuge from war and famine years ago in places like Jabul Aulia camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which is near Khartoum, have since raised whole families, have had to bury their dead far from home and have in many ways struggled to survive. Today, the longing for what was once dear to them -- their homes and villages -- is as strong as ever. The combined effect of a crushing war and famine resulted in some 3 million Sudanese seeking shelter in the Khartoum area and the city. Jabul Aulia camp alone became home to some 800,000 people.

Billy Samuel, one of thousands of children born and raised in the camp, dreams of one day achieving great things. "When I'm older I want to study engineering and design airplanes that can transport people to strange places." Billy's school, which is in the desert, continues to be supported by ACT member NCA. In all, 25 former pupils of this school have graduated and are continuing their studies at university.

Ellari Luo Aknacpir could not find regular employment. Tired of his country being at war with itself for decades, tired of waiting for peace, he goes about his daily task, making and selling fishing nets with an air of resignation. "I keep myself busy by making fishing nets. I spend 48 days making each one. With my income I can support my family with money and food," he says.

With great strength and commitment, Achol brings water to her family several times every day. The people in the camps rely on the water pumps, which provide them with clean water for their domestic needs. "Staying in a camp like this, the children are vulnerable and can easily be infected by diseases," says the mother of three.

Amma Luise and her family were among the first to return to this part of Wau since fighting first started in 1998. They explain how they saw many dead people and how they needed to escape in order to survive. Amma's brother and sister were killed during the fighting and she says, "Now it's more peaceful, and we don't fear for our lives anymore". As people start returning, the next few months will tell whether their neighbours who also fled survived the massacres that had happened in this area. "We have been here for 33 days now, and we hope to move into our new house in a couple of weeks. I look forward to live in a proper house," says Amma. Her father, Luis, adds that he has heard the "rumours that there will be peace in Sudan, but I don't believe it until I see it".

For local communities to develop peace-building initiatives, it is often crucial to do so on the ground, so to speak. What may seem like minor efforts -- football matches between different tribes -- is often how reconciliation is brought about and how local communities can develop their own peace-building programs.

Reconstruction

Rebuilding homes and other structures is a big step towards believing that peace may finally have come to some areas of the war-torn nation. But, equally important are healing the deeply emotional wounds brought on by decades of conflict, all the while being crushed by natural disasters. "When the peace agreement has been signed we are going to celebrate. I will return to my village, sit beneath a tree and tell stories and dance! I think there will be peace now, we are tired of being tired. Our leaders cannot turn back time. We are losing our patience, the war has been going on for too long," says Anyuat Abut.

Education: In Marian Ajiith camp, the leaders say that education is the only way to make sure that their children, unlike themselves, have a chance of building a better future. "If we return home we need to know that our children can go to school."

In 1998 there were hundreds of bodies scattered along the roads of Wau. People still recount with horror what they had witnessed, when nearly 300,000 people died during the famine. And although there are signs of hope, places like Wau are still deeply affected by the tragedy that has beset their country in so many ways. Yet now, they hold out hope that at least in this part of Sudan, the next generation will grow up knowing peace, rather than war.