“I have hope” says displaced mother of eight 

PANYAGOR, South Sudan – When floods swept through Lith Payam in 2022, 57-year-old Amam Kuir Angok lost nearly everything, her livestock, her household goods and the farmland that had sustained her family for years. 

Three years ago, her husband and his second wife relocated to an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Lake State, these camps are for people forced to flee their homes but remain within their own country’s borders. Amam stayed behind in Twic East County to care for her eight children, five daughters and three sons. One of her sons is now studying at Juba University through sponsorship; the rest have not attended school. 

“Since the floods, life has been very difficult,” she said. “I have worked washing dishes and fetching water for restaurants to feed my family, but we have no cattle, no goats, no fishing grounds and very few options to earn a living.” 
 
In January 2025, a local cash committee visited her home to register her for cash assistance as part of an emergency relief project. The project is funded through CLWR’s account at Canadian Foodgrains Bank and implemented through a partnership between Canadian Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran World Federation. This is part of a four-month initiative helping more than 11,400 people displaced by flooding in two counties in South Sudan’s Jonglei State.  

Over four months, Amam received about C$400. “With the cash, I bought 50 kilograms of sorghum, five litres of cooking oil, sugar, tea leaves, fish, meat, cabbage and beans,” Amam said.  

With prices rising, the food lasted about 26 days. 

She continues to supplement the assistance she received with casual work, using the savings to better support her children. “This help gave us good food,” she said. And she has already noticed a difference in the health of her children, “You can see from my children that their bodies are shining.”  

“I am thankful for the support; I pray for those who contribute to save my family and many more families in our village,” she said. “I have hope.” 

Top image caption: Amam with five of her children. Photo courtesy of LWF