Mary.

NB;This Interview has been edited for clarity and brevity

My name is Mary.I was born in South Sudan, our village is called Mundri. I had to migrate from South Sudan during the war. Many people died there. My granddaughter become traumatized because of bombing, so every time she was shaking and not eating anything. I saw I am going to lose her, so that's why we ran to Uganda,the safe place.I have three, and then for my sister three and four grandchildren. 

Mary with her family.

Childhood and Aspirations

When I was a child, I aspired to be a doctor. Even I am in school, I am thinking about that one. But when I reach to first year secondary, my relatives are all working in the hospital. My uncle is doctor, and then my mother is nurse, and then my aunt is a midwife. Most of them work in the hospital. Then, I changed my mind. I said, "Now all of us in the hospital, why?" That led me to do another work. Even the time when I am finishing my secondary school, my teachers need me to be in the science section, but I said, "No, I can take art section." Even in university I am doing the course of communication and public relations. The time when I am going to end, and my going to end in university, so the money is not enough. Even these girls is in school, so I leave school.  

Life Before the War.

Before the war, I worked for the government as a senior clerk in the Office of Public Service. I had a good family and a good home. Then I ate a healthy meal at home with my children. By the time conflict breaks out, there will be no way to travel to work or buy food. Sometimes we would go two, or four days not having anything, even water. My children are quite exhausted. Even my daughter was married, and her spouse was not present; her husband was in the army and had gone to a different location. Then my children are at home, with no water or food. They call, and I have no idea how to help them.. After two to three days I found a small way, so I brought them to my home from my husband's home. This is until now they're with me here.

Arrival in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement

I started the journey from my town because of the war that is gunshot, so we can move and we can stay there. Other times, we can move, and after around six to seven days, we reach the border. At the border, there is a reception place, and we went there. They keep us and give us biscuits, water, and some porridge, so we eat. After taking these things, you stay there. There are many camps, Bidi Bidi and Adjumani, but I chose this one. I said that, now, let me go to Bweyale, Kiryandongo. We took a bus from there, this side of Uganda, and then we reached here on 1st August 2016. When I reached Kiryandongo, I found many people in the reception area, and there was no space for them. There are many people, food in line, even porridge in line, and everything you can stand in line for . Without registration, we slept outside for seven days. Sometimes, when it is finished, we can sleep until tomorrow.The rain is raining there. We suffered. But good enough because there is no gunshot. It is why, in my heart, I am happy; there is no running or movement like in South Sudan. This is why I try to stay. Even my children were complaining; they said, "Now, we have left our home, and then now we are here, we are sleeping outside and on the raid, so it is not good." But I say, "No, be patient. One day, we will have a house, and we can be okay because here we are alive." There in South Sudan, anytime you can lose your life. Sometimes, the bullet comes from somewhere, and you can die just here because the bullet doesn't know where it can move. This is why we are here; even now, we are settled in everyday life. Yes. They are now okay. 

"No, be patient. One day, we will have a house, and we can be okay because here we are alive."-Mary PSS Counsellor

Coping with Trauma

Life is still bad, yes, because of the many traumas. Sometimes, I cannot even sleep because when we are moving, you can find a dead person there, you can jump, and you can go. Some people, the rest of them, were shot. The most painful thing for me is two things. One small child, the mother, was shot, and the child is still breastfeeding the mother. That is very, very bad for me. Sometimes, when I think about that one, I can sleep. Sometimes you know the person who died, and it's like this like it is not there the human being. It is very painful. Another lady was raped by the army. When they raped that lady, they took the stick and put it in a specific part of the woman. Those things are very painful for me. The time when I'm still not far in the Y Global, that trauma is too much. The time when I have trained, and even they have counseled us, the trauma has gone. I know that is the life of this world. 

The time when I'm still not far in the Y Global, that trauma is too much. The time when I have trained, and even they have counseled us, the trauma has gone. I know that is the life of this world. -Mary,PSS Counsellor

Introduction to Y Global

Y Global, the time I am in the distribution center, yes, the time when we are getting food, the third time for food, so there is guy from Y Global. That one called me. He asked me, "Ma'am, I need to talk with you." I said, "Okay, my son. I welcome you." He said, "Now, there is organization called YWCA and they need people in the meeting." They need my number if the meeting is there, so that maybe I can go and hear from there. I said, "Okay." But I buy the number, it's still new, I'm not remembering. I said, "My telephone is in the charging, the time when I come, so I can call you." They give this number to me so that when I reach home I called them. There is a guy called Alfred, and then the other one. I forgot that one. They are two. The time when I called them they said, okay, now they have saved my number. Anytime when the meeting was going to be, they can call me. This is why they have called me, the people come from Kampala, we have done the meeting. Up to now I am working under Y Global. Camilla come and Kristin (Berg) come, they taught us how to counsel people. First of all, they have counseled us, because we are traumatized. Especially me, because I have lost my sister there, the brothers there, and even the friends. You work now, you heard that somebody has died, your friend has died. That trauma is with us. This is why they have counseled us and taught us how to counsel other people. 

Becoming a Counselor

My life has changed since I have done the training in the Y Global. The when they are counseling me, so they start to turn me so I become a strong. Even now I have peace in my heart, even I am able to counsel another person who has trauma and has pain in their heart, even have problem in the family. I'm able to counsel them. yes, give us confidence to go and train another person. Just like when you heard about Jesus Christ, even you can train another person to know Jesus Christ, and you can have peace. I have peace through Y Global. The peace work which I have, I am giving to other people, both woman and man, even the small kids. 

I have peace in my heart, even I am able to counsel another person who has trauma and has pain in their heart, even have problem in the family. I'm able to counsel them. 

Community Impact

Sometimes when the person have trauma and he/she come to me, so I can tell him/her my name and my organization name. I can ask her name, and I can tell her/him to be in peaceful way so we can talk. The time when she/him tells me the story, all the story, what she/him have, so after that I counsel him/her accordingly to [INAUDIBLE] she/him have. irst of all, the MC will be there, it is confidential and I cannot tell to any person the story when they're talking to me. When the story is sometimes painful, so I can reduce the pain because that client is not the only one who has the problem. Sometimes, for raping, this raping happens in all this world. During the war, these things happen. Even here, sometimes the woman is going to get firewood and there have been raping there. When I heard about that one, sometimes they can call me to counsel the people who was raped before. I can counsel them, and I can tell them to be free because these things can happen. We cannot hide that one. When it happens, you can wash your heart. Because when you carry dirty things in your heart, the trauma will not be out of your mind. Every time you can think about that one, where every time you can think that now the people will spoil my name. When you are free, the things can be out from your mind. Even sometimes the people who have AIDS, even I can counsel them to take the drugs in the time, to eat well and be free, because many of the people have AIDS. When you have something and you are not free, that thing will kill you before the sickness. But when you are free, you will be okay. Others now is free, is taking drugs in the time, is eating well, and they are healthy. 

Hopes for the Future

I expect to be here in Uganda for many years here, because my camp is not as stubborn now, and I think I need my children, grand children to be in school. Even if I am retired, so that they can finish their school and they can be able to go help our country, South Sudan, because without knowledge the country cannot grow. This is my plan.Even my children are doing well. The other one has finished P7 and another grade one. P7 is now going to senior one. The others are still going on.I am trying to train them in Christian life, so that they can know the power of God for them. Without the power of God, we cannot reach here. Many people need to come, but they fail to come. Many lose their life, but God has helped us from there up to here. Now we are in safe side. Even I thank the organization of Y Global, because they stand with us. Even now in this community, I worked in one class N, I and H. Sometimes I can reach up to L. I am very known in this area. Even though in the side of church there I am very known there .

I need to share I am very happy with the organization of Y Global. Even I am very happy with the people of Norway, Norway region, because through them now our people in the community have hope. The others, they carry everything because of trauma, but through Y Global now they're okay. They have peace. Even encouraging other people if you have a problem, you come to Mama Mary, you go Y Global. Even the time when there is organization called TPO, they come and they gather people, they're asking, "Now, you community, when you have a problem is there somebody to help you?" They say, "Yes, we have people from Y Global is helping us." They say, "Who is that one in your community here?" They say, "Mama Mary is there and Victoria is there." Everything will happen, but we can be with these people. Even here last month there is tribalism here, fighting, so I called the class leader, because they're starting to fight there seriously. Class leader come here and he go to police, bring police and these people was there. Now, their life has become normal.