By Communications | Partner Development
The Founder of I Live Again Uganda said, "The silence of guns is not the absence of war." We often assume that when the physical battle has stopped in a conflict, everything and everyone can quickly return to the way things were before the beginning of the conflict. We know that this is not true.
In a study completed last year by the UNCHR, contributing factors of mental health challenges among refugee children are related to exposure to war, violence within families and households and the mental health state of their parents. For the refugee children who came to Uganda without parents, the study showed that these children had higher rates of depression, behavioural challenges and suicide attempts (UNCHR 2023).
The war of South Sudanese refugees has moved from a physical state into their minds. This is why we exist. This is why I Live Again Uganda is in the refugee settlements in Uganda. This is why your partnership matters. We dream of a world where everyone has healing, hope and identity. This includes refugees from South Sudan.
For 13-year-old Sharon who has been attending our Empower Kids Trauma Counseling Program, she has seen great change in her own life. She lives with her Aunt in the refugee settlement after losing both of her parents. "I felt so alone in my home. I felt like no one wanted me. As I've come to the children's program, I've learnt that it's not good for me to think for too long about the past. We come and play games and talk together. It has helped me so much. I am getting along so much better with my cousins and my Aunt. My cousins are also here too. We are all playing together now and I'm not feeling as sad as I was before."
We are grateful for every gift and sacrifice made to make sure children like Sharon receives healing, renewed hope and knows her purpose-filled identity. With your continued compassion and generosity, we can help children like Sharon fight the hidden war of depression, anxiety and emotional challenges. Thank you for changing the story of survivors of war.
"Culture, Context and Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons From South Sudan" (UNCHR 2023)
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