The daily life of a child in a refugee camp
Listening This is the story of Faida, a 12-year-old girl living in the Bidi Bidi refugee camp in Uganda. It is one of the largest refugee camps in the world with 285 000 people living there. Faida comes from a small town called Mundri in South Sudan, but she had to flee there when war broke out.
Faida was forced to flee
- I come from Mundri in South Sudan. I had a good life there. We lived in a house with a tin roof. I went to school. But then the war came and we had to flee," says Faida.
Mundri is a small town and around the town many people grew food and had cows. Now many have fled from there.
- Now I live with my grandmother. The house we live in is not very good. It has tarpaulins as roof and walls. So it is cold because it rains and blows in.
Faida's family eats broad beans, okra and kudra. These are different vegetables. In Mundri they ate meat from wild animals. Faida says she misses it.
Bidi Bidi, the world's largest refugee camp, is located in northern Uganda. It is home to 285 000 people. Photo: Mawa George and CEFoRD
Bidi Bidi, the world's largest refugee camp, is located in northern Uganda. It is home to 285 000 people. Photo: Mawa George and CEFoRD
School in the refugee camp
In the refugee camp, Faida goes to school. The school is also made of tarpaulins. There are many children in each class.
Faida talks about what else she misses from her hometown of Mundri.
- I miss shoes and clothes, rice and beans. I also miss my relatives and especially my aunt," says Faida.
She also tells us what they play in Bidi Bidi.
- We jump a lot of rope and in the camp we also do theater. What I miss is the soccer. I like to play soccer. But there is no football field here.
- What I want to do in the future is to go to school. Then I want to have a job," says Faida.
Facts about the conflict in Sudan
South Sudan has been in conflict for many years. In 2011, the country was divided and South Sudan became independent. Peace came, but it did not last long.
Now there is a war between different groups. Even those not taking part in the war are affected by the violence as different groups attack villages and towns with weapons. This is why many people are fleeing.
According to UNHCR, Uganda has taken in 1.5 million refugees from South Sudan.
This text was originally published on January 1, 2018.
Published: 04 May 2023
