How Judenie escapes the shadows of violence

Wista, a 47-year-old mother, and her 5-year-old daughter, Judenie, lived in constant fear after the announcement of an impending attack by local gangs. Wista, a small-scale merchant, was compelled to abandon her livelihood when the gangs began terrorizing their community. Despite her business knowledge and dedication to providing for her family, she had no choice but to leave it all behind. 

“I used to run a small business that World Vision gave me. But when people said the gangs would take the city, I was too scared to keep going. The gangs made it too dangerous. I had no choice but to leave,” she says. The journey to safety was not an easy one. With every step, the path became more treacherous. Wista and Judenie faced unbearable hardships, but their will to survive pushed them forward. 

Wista describes their difficult journey: "The path was hard. The young girl walked and walked for miles, but she found strength in God to continue. I was in pain. We crossed rivers on a small canoe, and after that, we continued on foot. We took two motorcycle rides, but the motorcycles got into accidents along the way, and we nearly crashed into rocks. Everyone else had to walk the path as well."

As they traveled, Wista's heart grew heavy with sadness. The journey seemed endless, and she often felt like she couldn't go on. "I felt so sad," she says. "I wanted to lie down in the bushes and sleep forever. But I kept thinking of my daughter and the need to protect her."

After a long and exhausting trek, they finally arrived at a shelter, but Wista's condition worsened. She was unable to eat or drink and felt physically drained from the stress of the journey. "When I arrived at the refugee center, I was in so much pain," Wista remembers. "My head hurt, and I couldn't eat. I couldn't even drink water. I had left everything behind in my house."

The little girl remembers her school and friends who miss her so much. Judenie suffered a lot as she saw her mother and other relatives trying to move into the bushes. She says: “I was scared and tired, but Mama said we have to move.” “I just want to go to my school and play with my friends,” says the daughter of Wista. 

Though they had escaped the violence, Wista and Judenie were left with the scars of their traumatic journey. Wista, still battling the emotional and physical toll of the ordeal, reflects on its impact on their lives. "I left everything behind. All I wanted was to protect my daughter and survive. But I never imagined how hard the road would be."

In their new shelter, Wista and Judenie still feel the weight of what they lost, but they cling to hope that, with time, they will be able to rebuild their lives and move forward from the devastation they left behind. Wista’s family was facing the impossible, surviving despite the violence and the perilous journey, and their quest for safety and a better life away from the gangs that had threatened to tear apart their community.