Elizabeth

Abstract

This chapter tells the story of Elizabeth, a South Sudanese mother living in Kakuma, whose household sits at the fiftieth percentile of the camp’s income distribution. Despite being the ‘median’, her family is fully dependent on humanitarian assistance, burdened by debt, and without work income. Elizabeth fled conflict in South Sudan and arrived in Kakuma in 2014 after a long and dangerous journey. Unlike many aid-dependent households, she has a comparatively high level of education: she enrolled in school alongside her children and completed both her primary and secondary certificates. She previously ran a small business reselling cooking oil and cereals, but child-care demands and her newborn’s serious health problems forced her to stop. Her story highlights major themes shaping life in Kakuma, including limited health care and insecurity, particularly for women living alone. Yet, Elizabeth also seeks hope in religion, her children’s education, and her dream of one day working in a hospital.