“The cash assistance came when I needed it most. It helped me feed my family, buy clothes, and start again,” says Chris.
Reunited and rebuilding
When Chris arrived at the Renk Transit Centre in South Sudan, he carried the few belongings he had left. Following his detention, deportation and separation from his family in Sudan, he found himself traumatised, uncertain about the future and struggling to provide for those who depended on him.
The emotional toll of displacement and family separation was immense. Without a stable source of income and facing the responsibility of supporting his family, Chris was confronted with the daunting challenge of rebuilding his life from nothing.
Recognising his urgent protection needs, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) provided Chris with protection assistance, including cash. Through NRC’s Family Connect Communication Hub, he was also able to reconnect with his family and eventually reunite with his wife at the Renk Transit Centre.
For Chris, the reunion was transformative.
“Being reunited with my wife gave me hope again,” he says. “After everything we had gone through, being together meant we could start rebuilding our lives as a family.”
The cash assistance provided an immediate lifeline. Chris used part of the funds to establish a small business while allocating the remainder to meet his family’s most urgent needs, including food, clothing and other essentials.
“I was able to establish a business with the cash I received from NRC,” he continues. “It helped me feed my family, buy clothes, and meet other household needs. Although the business did not survive because our family’s needs were greater than the income it generated, the assistance came at a critical time. It allowed us to survive when we needed support the most.”
Although the business was temporary, it gave Chris and his family the opportunity to navigate one of the most difficult periods of their lives. The support eased immediate financial pressures, restored a sense of self-reliance, and gave him the confidence to begin planning for the future.
Chris’s journey has been marked by repeated displacement and profound loss. He first came to Sudan to escape Liberia’s civil war, where he lost many family members and with them, any ties that would compel him to return. Chris held refugee status in Sudan but, when the war broke out, he was forced to flee once more. Today, he sees South Sudan – where his wife was born – as the place where his family has the best chance to rebuild their lives.
“I want to settle in South Sudan and find a job,” explains Chris. “Returning to Liberia without any resources and with a family to support would be very difficult. I lost many of my family members during the war, and the only close relative I have left is my younger brother.”
Today, Chris is taking meaningful steps toward self-reliance. He volunteers as a part-time teacher at a school in Renk, contributing to his community while continuing to support his family.
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