A different life

Fearing for their safety, when the militia attacked the village, Zainab and her family abandoned their home.

“Every night I am plagued by horrific dreams of what has happened to my community. My future is filled with fear.”

She now lives with her family in IR’s Kerinding II camp. Zainab says that they are luckier than most. They have two separate huts, which gives them more privacy than most families.

However, she yearns to return to her old way of life. Living in a crowded camp with over 10,000 people is a constant reminder of just how much her life has changed.

Searching for firewood

Although she is glad to be inside Kerinding II, Zainab still feels vulnerable to violence as there is danger just outside.

Militia surround the camp and Zainab risks her safety every day when she leaves to look for firewood. The militia often targets women and girls and some have been attacked.

Zainab often walks for hours before she finds enough wood to cook what little food her family has to eat.

IR has set up a committee to help prevent violence against women. The committee trains women to make fuel-efficient stoves. These stoves use less firewood and mean that women and girls spend less time outside the camp.

Going to school

Zainab is happy that IR has brought some stability to camp life. Her family receives constant support and she attends one of the two schools that IR runs.

She hopes to use her education to help rebuild her community when the conflict is over.

Zainab is one of thousands of children who have had to grow up quickly to face the reality of life in Darfur. Going to school is one of the few chances these children have to resume their childhood while living in a camp.