Voices from the Field - IRC Blog

“I had no backpacks, no computers, no books. I would write in the sand.”

- Sudanese “Lost Boy” Benjamin Ajak, speaking to 8th grade students at Rincon Middle School in Escondido, California, about the importance of education.  The San Diego Union Tribune reported this week on his visit to the school.

“The displaced want to return home but they are nervous about their security. There is still a lot of mistrust and the government and local communities are trying to rebuild confidence among rival groups. We don’t know how quickly this will happen. In the meantime, we will continue to help the displaced here.”

- Cat Jones of the International Rescue Committee emergency response team, speaking about IRC’s work at a makeshift camp housing 7,000 people who have fled the recent violence in Kenya. 

“We have a lot of work ahead to make sure that those still in Uganda are provided for and that we help those who want to go home to do so with dignity.”

- IRC field coordinator Charles Ssketawa, on IRC’s efforts to assist thousands of Sudanese refugees who are voluntarily returning to their villages from IRC-supported camps in Uganda following a 2005 peace agreement.