South Sudan, Juba, 14 February 2019
Orphaned at an early age, Christine, Marta, Viola and Vivian were left with nothing but the clothes they wore. Well, that’s until they met each other.
“We are happy to have each other!” says Vivian, the group’s self-ordained spokesperson as the rest of the crew nods in agreement.
With little or no knowledge about their family histories, parents or past, their heads are full of math formulas, songs and definitions they have learnt at school.
“Social Studies is our favorite subject because we learn about the world,” says Vivian.
“We did not choose to be here. We did not choose to be alone.”
Brought to the Straight Links Orphanage Centre in Juba by good Samaritans, the school doubles as their home and the school meal WFP provides is often the only regular and nutritious meal they receive.
“We do not have much to eat,” Vivian says.
Quick-witted and endowed with the gift of the gab, she is a natural for her group’s spokesperson role.
So what’s next for Vivian and company?
They all hope to complete their studies and go on to lead successful lives. Neither the conflict nor the country’s borders seem to stand in their paths.
“We want to see how life is like outside our country,” Vivian says. “We want a better life and to explore this big world!”
And as if in an act of defiance, the group refuses to be defined by their past.
“We did not choose to be here. We did not choose to be alone,” she says.
And, there is even more defiance. With the maturity of a village elder, she refuses to focus on the ugly side of life.
“But we are happy that life gave us so many sisters and brothers,” she says. “They are our family now and we will choose the future we want.”
In the Photo: We are family! L-R Christine, Marta, Vivian and Viola, scholars at Straight Links Orphanage Centre cuddle as they pose for a group photo.
Photo: WFP/Gabriela Vivacqua