I am Esther Keji, I’m 14 years of age, and I come from South Sudan

Esther and friends sit at a bench eating lunch in Chanrom School Uganda

This is Esther’s second stay in Uganda as a refugee. After the independence vote of January 2011 her family fled the general violence in the world’s newest sovereign country – South Sudan.

They were able to make it to Kampala, the capital of Uganda and make a decent life while they waited for things to normalise at home.

Esther and her family eventually returned in 2013 only to see a full blown civil war break out. UNHCR reports that “The majority of new arrivals are women and children (85%). The primary motivation of a refugee fleeing South Sudan is the deterioration of the security situation: Ethnically motivated attacks; prolonged violent conflict; and forced recruitment of young people by armed groups. Refugees continue to use informal border points many having travelled for several days through the bush in order to avoid armed groups who have reportedly set up roadblocks along the main roads to the border.” – UNHCR

“It was also so scary for us, because for us, we were used to that life of Kampala.” remembers Esther who was 8 years old at the time.

“So my father said, now let us come to Uganda.”

Profile photo of Esther Keji The decision to flee war and travel to a neighbouring country offering sanctuary seems like an easy one, but in fact the journey is perilous and with many dangers. Most major roads are blocked by one group or another, and surprise ambushes are common. The safest option is to travel through the bush and take your chances with the wild-life. Scavenging food and shelter for a journey that may take several weeks.

“On the way back to Uganda, my father was running behind us. When a lot of rebels came, they were too many of them, and they attacked my father. He was shouting to us to run, forget about him, and run! They beat him. Then they shot him dead.”

With the shout of warning the travelling group scattered in every direction, and Esther was tragecially separated from her mother.

“Even to this day, I have not been able to see or talk with my mother. I feel so sad about it because I lost my father and left my mother. But I am glad that my uncle Jon said he would take care of me. I still think about my mother now and then, but because my uncle take good care of me, I can just live with them. I can just say that now it is God who knows what is my future.”

Esther is one of the 56,456 refugees welcomed by the Ugandan Government into the Kiryandongo district. She was interviewed and assessed at the ‘reception’ camp on arrival and when her processing was complete the family was released onto their own private plot of land with basic supplies.

“They took us to their reception, then we slept by that place, it is just like a tent. There are many people stay there. After staying there they gave us some materials for building houses, like tarp sheets, also they gave people us saucepan for cooking because you know when are running you cannot think of those things for cooking or what. You have to run so that you can survive, so that is so.”

Esther now attends the Chanrom Primary school where our “Full Life” feeding program is run. Healthy nutritious meals are provided in the government run schools to encourage education.

“When I eat my lunch you feel satisfied, your mind is relaxed. When you attend class, lessons can go on very nice. You are not at the back of the lesson, struggling to keep up. Now I get good, top marks – division 2’s and sometimes division 1 – the maximum.”

Deputy principle, Stephen Msambo credits the “Full Life” feeding program from Feed The Hungry as the cornerstone for the schools success. At the Primary Leaving Exam (PLE) that all students must sit before applying for high school the school barely received 1 Division result in over 4 years.

In 2014, the first year of the Full life program ran 5 refugee students achieved a division 1 result. This was proven to be no accident when another 5 achieved in 2015. In 2016 this skyrocketed to 15 students achieving a division 1 result, and no single student who sat the exam failing. In 2017, an amazing 27 refugee students achieved a division 1 result – which means the top 1% of the country!

“I would have just some few words to thank Feed The Hungry, for providing the meals and changing my life. My regular meal and a good education, this one can lead to my good future.”