After nearly 20 years working for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she estimates it is in the thousands. Yet, each time she sits in her small portacabin office at a transit centre between the Ugandan border and the Bidibidi refugee settlement, she gives her undivided attention to the person sitting across from her.<\/p>\n
This time, it is three young siblings from South Sudan.<\/p>\n
They tell Salome that when their father died, their mother remarried a man from a different tribe who refused to accept them. Their mother started beating them and shouting at them, hoping they would leave. When that didn\u2019t work, she told them to go to a refugee camp in Uganda where their late father\u2019s family was living. She promised to join them there later. When they arrived at the border, there were no relatives to meet them and they had no way to contact their mother.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”MOBILE ONLY” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|” disabled_on=”off|off|on” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=”on” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Image 1 Mobile” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278466_Giles-Duley-uganda-1-copy.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|30px|0px” background_color_2=”rgba(0,0,0,0.69)” padding_top_2=”40px” padding_right_2=”75px” padding_bottom_2=”75px” padding_left_2=”75px” padding_1_last_edited=”off|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ module_alignment=”center” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|0px|20px|50px” custom_margin_phone=”20px|0px|0px|50px” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text 1 mobile” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n
Salome Ayukuru has lost track of how many refugees she has interviewed.<\/strong><\/p>\n After nearly 20 years working for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she estimates it is in the thousands. Yet, each time she sits in her small portacabin office at a transit centre between the Ugandan border and the Bidibidi refugee settlement, she gives her undivided attention to the person sitting across from her.<\/p>\n This time, it is three young siblings from South Sudan.<\/p>\n They tell Salome that when their father died, their mother remarried a man from a different tribe who refused to accept them. Their mother started beating them and shouting at them, hoping they would leave. When that didn\u2019t work, she told them to go to a refugee camp in Uganda where their late father\u2019s family was living. She promised to join them there later. When they arrived at the border, there were no relatives to meet them and they had no way to contact their mother.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are good people here who will give you a good home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cFirst, we need to place you with a family that will look after you. There are good people here who will give you a good home,\u201d says Salome. \u201cI promise you, the worst is over.\u201d<\/p>\n As she speaks, it is Nyoko, 12, whose expression indicates that she has just comprehended their situation \u2013 that her mother lied and is not coming for them; that they have been abandoned. Her sister, Bagia, 10, senses something is wrong but does not yet fully understand, while eight-year-old David is busy pulling faces and amusing himself.<\/p>\n As a UNHCR protection officer in Arua, in northern Uganda, Salome is the first point of contact for the most vulnerable South Sudanese refugees after they cross the border into Uganda. For many of them, it is their first moment of safety and the first time they can tell their stories.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not therapy; we are just talking.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThis is not therapy; we are just talking. But this conversation is vital as the first stage in rebuilding lives,\u201d Salome explains later. \u201cThey have given up on life, but when we talk, that is when they realize that yes, a terrible thing has happened, but somebody cares.\u201d<\/p>\n The 61-year-old Ugandan has a gift for making people feel they are being listened to. Her manner is gentle and caring, but firm. She explains that it is important the refugees understand their situation and the realities they face, as it is only then that she can help them adjust and get the support they need.<\/p>\n After their interview with Salome, the three siblings move on to the next stage of the intake process. They will be registered and given a hot meal, medical checks, and vaccinations before being transferred to Bidibidi, Uganda\u2019s largest refugee settlement.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_id=”start” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278466_Giles-Duley-uganda-1-copy.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|” background_color_2=”#ffffff” padding_top_2=”70px” padding_right_2=”70px” padding_bottom_2=”70px” padding_left_2=”70px” padding_2_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_2_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Cabin – text 2″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n “There are good people here who will give you a good home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cFirst, we need to place you with a family that will look after you. There are good people here who will give you a good home,\u201d says Salome. \u201cI promise you, the worst is over.\u201d<\/p>\n As she speaks, it is Nyoko, 12, whose expression indicates that she has just comprehended their situation \u2013 that her mother lied and is not coming for them; that they have been abandoned. Her sister, Bagia, 10, senses something is wrong but does not yet fully understand, while eight-year-old David is busy pulling faces and amusing himself.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278466_Giles-Duley-uganda-1-copy.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|50px” background_color_1=”#ffffff” padding_top_1=”70px” padding_right_1=”70px” padding_bottom_1=”70px” padding_left_1=”70px” padding_1_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_1_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Cabin – text 3″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n As a UNHCR protection officer in Arua, in northern Uganda, Salome is the first point of contact for the most vulnerable South Sudanese refugees after they cross the border into Uganda. For many of them, it is their first moment of safety and the first time they can tell their stories.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not therapy; we are just talking.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThis is not therapy; we are just talking. But this conversation is vital as the first stage in rebuilding lives,\u201d Salome explains later. \u201cThey have given up on life, but when we talk, that is when they realize that yes, a terrible thing has happened, but somebody cares.\u201d<\/p>\n The 61-year-old Ugandan has a gift for making people feel they are being listened to. Her manner is gentle and caring, but firm. She explains that it is important the refugees understand their situation and the realities they face, as it is only then that she can help them adjust and get the support they need.<\/p>\n After their interview with Salome, the three siblings move on to the next stage of the intake process. They will be registered and given a hot meal, medical checks, and vaccinations before being transferred to Bidibidi, Uganda\u2019s largest refugee settlement.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278462_Giles-Duley-uganda-5.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|” padding_top_2=”70px” padding_right_2=”70px” padding_bottom_2=”70px” padding_left_2=”70px” padding_2_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_2_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”MOBILE ONLY” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|” disabled_on=”off|off|on” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=”on” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Image 2 Mobile” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|30px|0px” background_color_2=”rgba(0,0,0,0.69)” padding_top_2=”40px” padding_right_2=”75px” padding_bottom_2=”75px” padding_left_2=”75px” padding_1_last_edited=”off|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ module_alignment=”center” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|0px|20px|50px” custom_margin_phone=”20px|0px|0px|50px” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text 2 mobile” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n Since 2013, when South Sudan\u2019s civil war erupted, nearly four million people have been forcibly displaced \u2013 more than half of whom have sought safety in neighbouring countries. About 80 per cent of those displaced are women and children.<\/p>\n Most of the refugees Salome interviews are children who have lost contact with their parents and single mothers with babies.\u00a0Cut off from their families and communities in a new country, they often struggle to cope and can become depressed or even suicidal.<\/p>\n Salome understands this better than most. When she was 18, rebel fighters in Uganda killed her father and then tortured her. In a reverse of the current situation, she fled to what is now South Sudan and lived in a refugee camp there for six years.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you find a solution, you can make good out of bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cWhen I was a refugee, what was going to kill me was loneliness. To be with no family, no common language \u2013 it can kill many refugees,\u201d she says. \u201cI know what it is to be so lonely, because I\u2019ve experienced it.\u201d<\/p>\n Even after losing her home and family, Salome\u2019s focus was always on others. She adopted an abandoned baby in the refugee camp and brought her up as her own. She now supports over 30 children, many of them Ugandan street children. Some of them have gone on to become nurses and teachers.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you find a solution, you can make good out of bad,\u201d says Salome, who is known to everyone here as \u2018Mama\u2019.<\/p>\n The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown initially affected Salome\u2019s work, making it difficult for her and other staff to go to the refugee settlements and the border area. She resorted to making daily calls to refugee leaders to follow up on people with the most pressing needs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I would call, what came out was that our absence was strongly felt and that we needed to be there to help find solutions to the refugees\u2019 challenges,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey were frustrated and feeling isolated and that pained me very much.\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout her day, Salome sits through one harrowing story after another. Yet, after their time with her, the refugees leave with some hope. They are directed towards the specialized help they need whether it is psychological support, adult education, foster care, food, clothing or training on how to build a shelter. It is the start of the long process of rebuilding their shattered lives.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278462_Giles-Duley-uganda-5.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|” background_color_2=”#ffffff” padding_top_2=”70px” padding_right_2=”70px” padding_bottom_2=”70px” padding_left_2=”70px” padding_2_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_2_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Road – text 1″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n Since 2013, when South Sudan\u2019s civil war erupted, nearly four million people have been forcibly displaced \u2013 more than half of whom have sought safety in neighbouring countries. About 80 per cent of those displaced are women and children.<\/p>\n Most of the refugees Salome interviews are children who have lost contact with their parents and single mothers with babies.\u00a0Cut off from their families and communities in a new country, they often struggle to cope and can become depressed or even suicidal.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278462_Giles-Duley-uganda-5.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|50px” background_color_1=”#ffffff” padding_top_1=”70px” padding_right_1=”70px” padding_bottom_1=”70px” padding_left_1=”70px” padding_1_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_1_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Road – text 2″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n Salome understands this better than most. When she was 18, rebel fighters in Uganda killed her father and then tortured her. In a reverse of the current situation, she fled to what is now South Sudan and lived in a refugee camp there for six years.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you find a solution, you can make good out of bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cWhen I was a refugee, what was going to kill me was loneliness. To be with no family, no common language \u2013 it can kill many refugees,\u201d she says. \u201cI know what it is to be so lonely, because I\u2019ve experienced it.\u201d<\/p>\n Even after losing her home and family, Salome\u2019s focus was always on others. She adopted an abandoned baby in the refugee camp and brought her up as her own. She now supports over 30 children, many of them Ugandan street children. Some of them have gone on to become nurses and teachers.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you find a solution, you can make good out of bad,\u201d says Salome, who is known to everyone here as \u2018Mama\u2019.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278462_Giles-Duley-uganda-5.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|” background_color_2=”#ffffff” padding_top_2=”70px” padding_right_2=”70px” padding_bottom_2=”70px” padding_left_2=”70px” padding_2_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_2_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Road – text 3″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown initially affected Salome\u2019s work, making it difficult for her and other staff to go to the refugee settlements and the border area. She resorted to making daily calls to refugee leaders to follow up on people with the most pressing needs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I would call, what came out was that our absence was strongly felt and that we needed to be there to help find solutions to the refugees\u2019 challenges,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey were frustrated and feeling isolated and that pained me very much.\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout her day, Salome sits through one harrowing story after another. Yet, after their time with her, the refugees leave with some hope. They are directed towards the specialized help they need whether it is psychological support, adult education, foster care, food, clothing or training on how to build a shelter. It is the start of the long process of rebuilding their shattered lives.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278468_Giles-Duley-uganda-2.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|75px|” background_color_2=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” padding_right_2=”75px” padding_left_2=”75px” _builder_version=”3.0.89″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”MOBILE ONLY” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|” disabled_on=”off|off|on” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=”on” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Image 3 Mobile” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|30px|0px” background_color_2=”rgba(0,0,0,0.69)” padding_top_2=”40px” padding_right_2=”75px” padding_bottom_2=”75px” padding_left_2=”75px” padding_1_last_edited=”off|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ module_alignment=”center” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|0px|20px|50px” custom_margin_phone=”20px|0px|0px|50px” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text 3 mobile” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to protect the very serious cases, and they are many. So I can\u2019t give up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It took Salome a long time to recover from her own experiences as a refugee. At the time, there was far less support available than there is now. What drives her is making sure the most vulnerable refugees are protected. Such dedication takes a toll, but she refuses to give up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to protect the very serious cases, and they are many. So I can\u2019t give up,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Her next interviewee is Sandra, an orphan who is unsure of her age. All she knows is that she had just had her period for the second time when a soldier raped her on her way to the local shop. She did not tell her foster family, and when she discovered a few months later that she was pregnant, tensions with the family grew.<\/p>\n Soon after she gave birth, they asked her to leave. She went looking for the soldier who had raped her, but when she found him, he threatened to kill her. Fearing for her life, she walked to the border with her baby.<\/p>\n Sandra now sits across from Salome, her baby wrapped in blankets on her lap.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to think of the practical now,\u201d Salome tells her. \u201cI know you are strong. You wouldn\u2019t have made it here with your child if you weren\u2019t. We will get you a protection officer to look after your case. We will find you a place in the camp for you to live. You will get food, we will get some clothes for the baby\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She pauses and looks at Sandra. \u201cDo you love your baby?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n Sandra looks down at the floor and doesn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, let me put it another way \u2013 if you could, would you leave the child with me?\u201d<\/p>\n Sandra nods without looking up.<\/p>\n \u201cSandra, you will learn to love this child,\u201d says Salome. \u201cYou must learn to love it, because if you don\u2019t, this child will never accept love. You have to break the cycle.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to you is not right, it should never have happened. But it does happen, it happens to many, so know you are not alone. I promise from this moment on, things will get better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing we have to do is remind these girls that they are still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As Sandra gets up to leave, Salome stops her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see those girls playing netball out there? I want you to go over there. There are lots of older women around. Ask one of them to hold your child, they will be happy to. Then play with the girls for a while,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Salome watches Sandra as she walks towards the field. She may have seen 1,000 children like her, but it is clear that each of their stories stays with her.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing we have to do is remind these girls that they are still alive,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n With additional reporting by Catherine Wachiaya.<\/em><\/p>\n Parts of this story were reported\u00a0before the closure of Uganda\u2019s borders in March 2020, following the country\u2019s measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.\u00a0The transit centre\u00a0at the border is now temporarily closed.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278468_Giles-Duley-uganda-2.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|50px” background_color_1=”#ffffff” padding_top_1=”70px” padding_right_1=”70px” padding_bottom_1=”70px” padding_left_1=”70px” padding_1_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_1_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Ball – text 1″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to protect the very serious cases, and they are many. So I can\u2019t give up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It took Salome a long time to recover from her own experiences as a refugee. At the time, there was far less support available than there is now. What drives her is making sure the most vulnerable refugees are protected. Such dedication takes a toll, but she refuses to give up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to protect the very serious cases, and they are many. So I can\u2019t give up,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278468_Giles-Duley-uganda-2.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|” background_color_2=”#ffffff” padding_top_2=”70px” padding_right_2=”70px” padding_bottom_2=”70px” padding_left_2=”70px” padding_2_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_2_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Ball – text 2″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n Her next interviewee is Sandra, an orphan who is unsure of her age. All she knows is that she had just had her period for the second time when a soldier raped her on her way to the local shop. She did not tell her foster family, and when she discovered a few months later that she was pregnant, tensions with the family grew.<\/p>\n Soon after she gave birth, they asked her to leave. She went looking for the soldier who had raped her, but when she found him, he threatened to kill her. Fearing for her life, she walked to the border with her baby.<\/p>\n Sandra now sits across from Salome, her baby wrapped in blankets on her lap.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278468_Giles-Duley-uganda-2.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|50px” background_color_1=”#ffffff” padding_top_1=”70px” padding_right_1=”70px” padding_bottom_1=”70px” padding_left_1=”70px” padding_1_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_1_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Ball – text 3″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to think of the practical now,\u201d Salome tells her. \u201cI know you are strong. You wouldn\u2019t have made it here with your child if you weren\u2019t. We will get you a protection officer to look after your case. We will find you a place in the camp for you to live. You will get food, we will get some clothes for the baby…\u201d<\/p>\n She pauses and looks at Sandra. \u201cDo you love your baby?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n Sandra looks down at the floor and doesn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, let me put it another way \u2013 if you could, would you leave the child with me?\u201d<\/p>\n Sandra nods without looking up.<\/p>\n \u201cSandra, you will learn to love this child,\u201d says Salome. \u201cYou must learn to love it, because if you don\u2019t, this child will never accept love. You have to break the cycle.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to you is not right, it should never have happened. But it does happen, it happens to many, so know you are not alone. I promise from this moment on, things will get better.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278468_Giles-Duley-uganda-2.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|” background_color_2=”#ffffff” padding_top_2=”70px” padding_right_2=”70px” padding_bottom_2=”70px” padding_left_2=”70px” padding_2_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_2_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Ball – text 4″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing we have to do is remind these girls that they are still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As Sandra gets up to leave, Salome stops her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see those girls playing netball out there? I want you to go over there. There are lots of older women around. Ask one of them to hold your child, they will be happy to. Then play with the girls for a while,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Salome watches Sandra as she walks towards the field. She may have seen 1,000 children like her, but it is clear that each of their stories stays with her.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing we have to do is remind these girls that they are still alive,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|” module_class=”ds-advent-25-section containedbkg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/spotlight\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2020\/07\/RF2278468_Giles-Duley-uganda-2.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” prev_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row custom_margin=”|50px|50px|50px” background_color_1=”#ffffff” padding_top_1=”70px” padding_right_1=”70px” padding_bottom_1=”70px” padding_left_1=”70px” padding_1_phone=”40px|40px|40px|40px” padding_1_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Ball – text 5″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n With additional reporting by Catherine Wachiaya.<\/em><\/p>\n Parts of this story were reported\u00a0before the closure of Uganda\u2019s borders in March 2020, following the country\u2019s measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.\u00a0The transit centre\u00a0at the border is now temporarily closed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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