Promoting Health & Equality Issues in Kenya

In January 2024, Mariam (a pseudonym, 18 years old), who had been living in a village in South Sudan, arrived at the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya with her young son. The Dadaab camp is home to 400,000 refugees who fled Somalia and neighboring countries in search of safety and a new life. Peace Winds offers vital support here, providing clean water, sanitation facilities like toilets, and housing.

Mariam's region in South Sudan had been in conflict since 2013, and she lived in constant fear of being caught in the fighting or targeted by attacks. At home, her father didn’t approve of the person she wanted to marry and forced her into an unwanted marriage. Feeling she could never be happy in her village, Mariam made the difficult decision to leave with her son. When she confided in her aunt, she was advised, "Go to Dadaab, where many people live safely." Encouraged by this, she left her home and set out for the camp.

Upon arrival, however, she faced a new set of challenges. Without means to obtain basic necessities, she struggled to adjust to the harsh heat and dryness of her new environment. A kind South Sudanese woman took Mariam and her son in, sharing the limited supplies she had received from humanitarian organizations. But even with this help, finding essential things like milk for her son—something she had given him every day in her village—was impossible.

This is when Mariam received support from Peace Winds, who provided her with temporary housing and a toilet. With this support, she was able to protect herself and her son from the risks of violence, intense sun, heavy rains, and insects.

Now, Mariam is able to earn a small income by helping her neighbors with laundry. In her free time, she plays volleyball with other women in the area, finding moments of joy even in the midst of difficulty. She has also opened her home to other young South Sudanese refugees who, like her, fled their homes but had nowhere to go.

Thanks to Peace Winds' housing support, Mariam has found not just a safe place to live, but also hope for a better future.

Mariam has a dream: though she never finished school, she has been studying English on her own. Her dream is to use her language skills to become independent and build a brighter future for herself and her son. With her determination and love for her child, she continues to face each day, overcoming obstacles and fighting for a better life.