Ayen

Abstract

This chapter tells the story of Ayen, a South Sudanese woman whose household sits at the sixtieth percentile of Kakuma’s income distribution. She fled South Sudan following communal violence, arriving with her children while her husband stayed behind to fight. In Kakuma, she lives in a thorn-fenced, ‘gated’ compound shared with more than thirty relatives from several Dinka families. They regrouped into one homestead after experiencing Dinka–Nuer tensions that had spilled over from South Sudan into the camp. Her story shows what life looks like in a very large household with only one low-paid, irregular job. Her brother-in-law, Ajak, works as a security guard at a food distribution centre and also serves as a community leader. Yet insecurity remains pervasive. Shortly before our visit, thieves stripped the family of food, clothing, and work documents, pushing them into debt and making it difficult to pay school expenses.