“I love English, mathematics, and science, and I also like tao be with a community, and I learn more things about life.“ — Rodina Abdelmaged
Summary
Rodina, a 13-year-old refugee from Sudan, once lived a stable life in Saudi Arabia before conflict forced her family to flee to Uganda.
Life in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement was a stark contrast, with her parents now farming instead of working as doctors.
At school, hunger affected her concentration until support from Feed The Hungry provided a daily nutritious meal. This reliable lunch improved Rodina’s focus, supporting her dream to follow her parents’ medical path.
Grateful for the support, she enjoys sharing happy moments with friends at school. “We thank you for bringing food – and may God bless you!” she says.
Rodina’s story
Before her life was turned upside down by the war, Rodina lived with her parents and siblings in Saudi Arabia. Her parents both worked as doctors in a medical laboratory. But when their work contract finished, they returned to Sudan.
Months later, they were fleeing for their lives as conflict exploded in their homeland.
“We tried to go out… we travelled through very hard places. Men had guns and there were some people from our area dying. We travelled by bus and by car. We even travelled by donkeys!” says 13-year-old Rodina.
Her life in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement in Uganda was very different to Saudi Arabia or even the familiarity of Sudan. Her parents were no longer working in a lab; instead, they were digging in the fields to grow food. Her friends were left behind and lost to her. It was a scary and lonely time.
She found comfort at school where she could continue learning.
“When we came to Uganda, I learned English. When we were in Sudan, I was just learning Arabic. Now, I love English, mathematics and science,” she says.
But most days, she would look around the classroom and see empty seats. Many of the children who arrived in the morning would have drifted away by the afternoon in search of food.
Hunger was everywhere – at school, at home. Morning and night she would think about food and long for her old life.
Even with her passion for languages and desire to learn, she struggled to stay focused.
“When there is no food, I feel that I am hungry and not concentrating in the lessons. Before, there was no one at school; few pupils remained.”
But with the support of Feed The Hungry at school, she and her friends received a hot, nutritious meal every day.
A reliable lunch completely changed her ability to learn and concentrate in class. Instead of leaving in search of something to eat, children could concentrate on their teacher’s words and dream of a better future.
“When I have eaten, I feel satisfied, and I can concentrate in my lessons,” she says.
Today, Rodina still thinks about her old life and the losses she has endured. But the atmosphere at school is different. She can concentrate and learn; she hopes to follow in her parents’ footsteps to become a doctor or a medical technician working in a laboratory one day.
As she eats with her friends, she says: “I like to be playing with my friends, sharing with them my things. We play together, we can be at school together, yes, enjoying life together.”
“We thank you for bringing for us food – and may God bless you!”
