Moses Boyong, Sudan "I am a refugee from Sudan but I work as a shoe shiner here in Kampala"

Moses Boyong's story

"My name is Moses Boyong. I am 25 years old. I am a refugee from Sudan but I work as a shoe shiner here in Kampala. I left my village of Kadakene with my family of seven in 1987, when I was almost nine years old. This was after one night when the SPLA [Sudan People's Liberation Army] attacked our village.

"The rebels were always coming and forcing us to give them things. They would enter the village at night with their guns and wake people up and take food and other valuables. Anyone with goats or chickens was a target. I had two goats which my father gave me when I was two. They came and took them both. Many people lost everything this way.

"Then one night they came and they started killing. They attacked some homes and raped the women and they said the men must join them. Many of the men said no and were shot there and then. Some supported them after that because they were afraid. But we didn't want to support them, so we left.

"We crossed the border into Uganda through Moyo district [in the north of West Nile]. We walked, almost without stopping, for three days because we feared being attacked. After we had gone far enough south into Moyo to feel safe, we settled there for three years. But the living conditions were poor. There was no food, no access to medicine and no communication. There were no boreholes for water - we drank water from the Nile. We were forced to take the risk of crossing back into Sudan in order to get food.

"Then in 1990 UNHCR came in and started looking for the refugees. We were taken to a settlement in Adjumani [neighbouring district]. But there we started getting problems, like hunger and not enough medical care. UNHCR provided some things, but it was not enough to go around. And when you arrive in a new place, it can be hard. Water can be a big problem in Adjumani. The place is so rocky, the sun is so hot, it's almost impossible to cultivate.

"Then my father died in 1994. He was beaten by the SPLA some years before and he had a problem with his chest. Now my problem is school fees and to support my mother. UNHCR only support you through primary school and I was already in senior 4 when he died. So last year I decided to go to Kampala to look for money to finish school. Now I am shining shoes to try and save money for school fees. I haven't restarted school yet. If I fail [to save money], I'll just keep doing this.

"I earn 4,000shs (US$2) per day. I have to pay for rent and food, which is a big problem. I am sending most of my money back to my mother and younger brothers. So I haven't saved anything yet. Some days I don't have enough to eat for the whole day. Some days I do. I'm not so happy here, alone. If there's peace I want to go back to Sudan."