Dear friends,
My name is Nanono Shirat, and I am a lesbian and a single mother of three daughters. I currently live in the Gorom refugee settlement in South Sudan, where life has been extremely difficult and challenging.
As a mother and an LGBTQ+ person, I face constant persecution, assault, and displacement. Basic needs like food, healthcare, and shelter are very hard to access. The support provided by UNHCR is minimal we receive just $50 a month, which is not enough to sustain us even for a week. Most days, we survive on just porridge. South Sudan is a conflict zone, and the high cost of living here makes things even worse. Many of us are now suffering from health conditions such as ulcers due to stress and poor nutrition.
Raising three children alone in a refugee camp for the past five years has been a struggle. I am doing my best to protect my daughters from being misled or taken advantage of out of desperation something that could expose them to risks like early pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. One of my daughters was recently attacked by homophobic refugees and suffered an injury to her eardrum. She now struggles with hearing loss, and we are unable to afford proper treatment, especially since the UNHCR hospitals are under equipped, forcing us to rely on private care that we cannot afford.
I am humbly reaching out to anyone who can offer support. Any help whether financial, medical, or even a word of encouragement would mean the world to us and help me raise my daughters in a safer, healthier environment. With sincere gratitude, Nanono Shirat
