Hawa’s Story: Leading with strength and hope

The classrooms of Al-Homaira School in Kosti locality, in the south of Sudan, once resonated with children's laughter, but today they reverberate with the shared sorrow and whispered hopes of families forced to flee civil conflict in Sudan.

Hawa lives here with her six daughters, two of whom are still little girls.

"At the end of April 2023, I fled Khartoum," Hawa says. "Following the outbreak of war, we secured a limited space here at Al-Homaira School. We shared a 20-square-meter room with six other families, all of whom are women and children."

For those who sought refuge at the school, access to clean water, proper sanitation, and hygiene supplies quickly became a lifeline for survival. With support from the Government of Canada and the Humanitarian Coalition, Plan International Canada worked with the community at Al-Homaira School to help displaced families stay healthy and retain their dignity amid the war.

"During our stay here, Plan International visited and registered us, and provided us with various water, sanitation and hygiene items," says Hawa. "We are grateful to receive these essentials and have greatly benefited from items such as soap, buckets, iron basins, water jerrycans and a dignity kit to my adolescent daughter."

Hawa didn't just receive support; she became an advocate for her community. Equipped with knowledge from Plan International's awareness sessions, she led weekly garbage collection campaigns, transforming the hygiene and sanitation conditions at Al-Homaira School. Her efforts improved the physical environment and inspired others, especially women and girls, to take an active role in community well-being.

Social gatherings became a staple of her day, offering moments of psychosocial relief. Over coffee, she and other women shared stories, laughter, and strategies for resilience. Together, they nurtured a growing sense of hope.  

At Al-Homaira School, Hawa and her community have shown that strength can be found in collective effort and shared purpose, even under challenging circumstances, building a sense of possibility for the future.