She never imagined food like this
Fleeing from civil war, Lula Adam Musa’s journey to safety was met by Tearfund’s abundant support.
Without knowing the whereabouts of her husband, this refugee had no choice but to flee with her children.
Lula Adam Musa, a brave young mother of 4, was forced to flee her home due to the civil war in Sudan. Life in Sudan is filled with turmoil and strife. Since the beginning of this war, the violence has escalated, forcing many families to other countries for refuge. Lula’s husband had left to work in the nation’s capital, but as the violence worsened, she could no longer wait for his return. Unsure if he was even alive, she laments, “At this point in time, I am not certain of where and how my husband is.” With desperate faith and only the protection of her children on her mind, she narrowly escaped to South Sudan.
Fleeing from civil war, her journey was tiresome and desolate. Caring for four young children alone was a difficult feat, and with no home or resources, the future looked bleak. She was overwhelmed by the obstacles that faced her, but she was not left alone. Through God’s grace and the help of some kind strangers, she was able to cross the border into South Sudan. Some compassionate youth also watched over her oldest children as she attended to her baby daughter, and directed her towards authorities who transported her family into a refugee settlement.
Eventually, she and her children landed in the Wedwil refugee settlement in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, South Sudan, housing nearly 5035 other households. There, they received life-preserving subsistence, but it was only that — the conditions were nearly unlivable. Lula and her children were on constant watch, and on top of that, never had nearly enough food to eat. She explains, “Yes, we have been receiving some support… but it has never been proportional to our food need.” They were hungry, crowded, and unsafe. Grief over her husband and the uncertain future of her children plagued Lula. Over half of the households left this camp, faring better conditions anywhere else. But Lula had nowhere else to go. Her faith remained strong, but her hope dwindled day by day.
Then, being nominated as one of the critically vulnerable households in the camp, Lula and her family received emergency food aid from Tearfund, with support from the Canadian Food Grains Bank (CFGB). Upon hearing this news, Lula was intrigued by the new support, but didn’t want to get her hopes up. She recounts how she felt as she sat in the shade with her children waiting for their ration. Upon seeing the abundance of food they were about to receive, she was shocked! This amount of support is enormous, and she looked forward excitedly to being able to satisfy her pleading children. She recounts with joy, “Many of us were instantly sent into a jolly mood as we waited for our turn to be ushered to the ration collection stage.” Tearfund’s support to these refugees not only gave them a stomach full of food, but a heart full of hope.
Life for these refugees is extremely severe, but with your help, you can support Tearfund’s emergency relief efforts to give renewed hope to the hopeless. Tearfund not only provides short-term aid, but trauma support and gender sensitivity awareness training for these refugee families. Additionally, long-term solutions and agricultural training are brought to many families living deep in poverty so they no longer have to rely on insufficient food aid. Join us in renewing families like Lula’s hope, joy, and faith through Christlike giving.
