I Wish Our Leaders Taste the Pain Our Children Are Going Through!

What have I done to deserve this life? South Sudan children tell our Mental Health and Psychosocial Support - MHPSS Councilor, Elizabeth, who helps to counsel children for their wellbeing. Elizabeth precisely, expresses her feelings towards her job.

Photo: Tito Justin/Save the Children

I have been in contact with many children who were suffering from stress and psychiatric caused by the different kinds of situations, and that experience taught me that the life is so unfair to many children in our communities. This is particularly the case for those children who have both disability and psychological challenges, and the separated children who might not have a parent to support them in a time of crisis. It’s a very a hard thing for someone to experience.

Some children might end up crying in the process of sharing their problems with me during an individual counselling. Sadly many of the caretakers who are taking care for the orphans and unaccompanied children are exhausted with the situation of not being able to provide the basic needs for the children, particularly food and clothing.

Save the Children is doing the excellent job of responding to providing these children with their basic needs. It really changes most of the vulnerable children’s lives. Some other organizations serve communities rations which improve things a littler, but not enough to feed whole families.

Elizabeth, a counsellor delivers blankets and other basic needs to Achai*, 16 in Akobo, South Sudan

Photo: Tito Justin/Save the Children 

Sometimes I felt terrible of what I had experienced and end up shedding tears when I am hooked by the thoughts and ending up analyzing what I have heard from my clients during working hours and what they are going through in private.

I wish our leaders could have try at being counselors to taste the pain that our children experience. Many of these children, whom our leaders call the future of this nation, cannot even go to school and have nothing to eat or wear. Many of them became street children due to the lack of guidance and support. I pray to the highest to save the children of South Sudan, as the situation is unbearable.

Some of the children call me “mother” and becomes great friends with me. I can see from their faces, some of the times they ask questions in which my mind suddenly goes blank and might take me some time to answer their questions - like when the child said “mum will I be able to meet my biological parents again? Will my situation change to the better life? What have I done to deserve this life?”

Life is unfair, surely is unfair. we are in the world where other people are happy and others are drowning in the deep ocean of depression May God have Mercy On the children of South Sudan.

I am happy to promote children’s psychosocial wellbeing and healthy development that Save the Children has stepped to address material wellbeing, health, education, and protection of children.

Written by Elizabeth Nyaluak Rial, MHPSS Counselor/Save the Children

Edited by Tito Justin/Save the Children