Yar and her brother lost all reason to believe their mother and sisters were alive, but they hung onto hope. Yar told her brother folk tales of their country, not just to pass the
Yar’s move to America from the Kenyan refugee camp and placement in a foster home did not go smoothly. Instead, it was a harsh and difficult experience. You can read the previous installment to her
When Yar read a posting in the Katuma Refugee Camp about Sudanese refugees being admitted to the United States, she jumped at the opportunity to change her circumstances. She applied for and was granted
It has been a tough two weeks since the last installment of Yar’s story. Violence and fighting has escalated in current-day South Sudan. The country is in a dire situation. People are starving and
So far, Yar journeyed hundreds of miles by foot to Ethiopia, back to Sudan, and then into Kenya, where she settled with thousands of other Sudanese in Kakuma refugee camp. For the first time
Yar’s reunion with her father and brother provided only momentary joy. Their arrival in Ethiopia brought short relief. Rebels overthrew the government in Ethiopia. These political changes led to attacks and violence in the refugee
In our previous installment of Yar’s story we ended with the happy news of Yar being reunited with her father. The appearance of a kind “soldier man” helped her to her feet and gave
In Part 1 of Lost Girls: Silent and Suffering, Yar shared how at the age of seven, she went from happily playing hopscotch to discovering the horrific attack on her village. We left her
Today I am sharing the beginning of Yar Ayuel’s story. You will find the events harrowing, but at the same time you will discover it is an account of strength and survival. It began the most ordinary of mornings—a
