Aisha is in her forties, and originally from Sudan. She lives with her five children in the Al Ajhar village in Al Kufra Region. Her house was constructed by her son on a small piece of land donated by one of their neighbors for a temporary period. She has neither a bathroom nor a kitchen in her modest house, and the roof is made of corrugated steel panels.
Aisha’s living conditions were further worsened when her house caught fire, while her son was trying to connect the electricity to the house. “I lost all my documents in that fire. Now, I am unable to provide the basic needs for my family. My children cannot go to school because we do not have the required legal documents. This is why I am undertaking their education by myself at home. I do not want them to be illiterate! I want them to be able to read and write some basic sentences, at least!” says Aisha. She is also the main breadwinner for her family; selling home-made food in order to gain a living.
Aisha struggles with many health conditions and difficulties in her daily life. She suffers from hyperthyroidism, hypertension, and cardiac arrhythmia. Additionally, she has a general anxiety disorder that has affected all aspects of her life. When she heard about Première Urgence Internationale’s (PUI) Mobile Health Team providing medical services in the Al Ajhar healthcare center, she visited PUI’s doctor seeking medical assistance. Thanks to a PUI’s project financially supported by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and the Swiss Confederation, primary healthcare services were provided for Aisha on a regular basis. Medical consultations, advice and medications for her chronic diseases along with psychosocial support were provided to her. To her credit, Aisha’s overall condition has improved: her thyroid function has normalized, her hypertension is now under control and her anxiety has reduced. On the other hand, she is still in need of further imagining and cardiac care for her heart condition which are only available in Benghazi at about 1,000 km away.
Aisha struggles to fulfill her basic needs, to access comprehensive healthcare, and to ensure the education for her children. She dreams of a decent life. However, despite all these conditions, she still prefers to live in Al Kufra. She says that: “Everyone has abandoned me and let me down. Despite all of this, I still prefer to live here in Al Kufra, because life in Sudan is much more difficult for me”.
Première Urgence Internationale’s mandate is to reach the needs of the most vulnerable populations and to help them regain independence and dignity regardless of their nationality, ethnic origin, race, gender or any other affiliations. This is why, the organization is committed to provide basic needs to people like Aisha, alleviate their sufferings, and make their voices heard!
