Nafisa (not her real name), a 58-year-old woman from neighboring Sudan shares Nyakol’s anguish, having lost contact with her grandson, seven-year-old Ahmed (not his real name), as the family fled the conflict in Sudan in December 2023. Nafisa’s escape to relative safety in South Sudan was wrought with difficulties and pain. In addition to the disappearance of Ahmed, she had to contend with the deaths of some members of the family, including her daughter’s husband.

“The moment I realized that Ahmed was not with the rest of us, I decided to go back and look for him, but a man in our group told me that was a bad idea”, “Do you want to lose all of them?” the man asked. The family spent three months at the border town of Renk and one day, Nafisa was informed that some unaccompanied minors had been brought to the Gorom Refugee Settlement on the edge of Juba. This persuaded the family to travel to Juba and visit Gorom. Despite her desperate efforts, Ahmed’s fate remains unknown.

Despite the emotional anguish their families are still going through, Nyakol and Nafisa continue to treasure and share very fond memories about their loved ones. “He used to call me Mama, although I was his grandmother,” recalls Nafisa, referring to her grandson Ahmed. “Mama, I am going to school because one day I want to become a doctor or a pilot,” Ahmed used to tell his grandmother.