They Chose Me. Fatima started a space for women fleeing to Sudan, to find themselves again.

Description

Fatima Zakaria’s life changed forever when her hometown of El-Geneina in western Darfur was attacked in June 2023. The 27-year-old university graduate was building a promising future, as a social worker at the Ministry of Social Affairs, and dreamed of advancing her studies, but her dreams were abruptly shattered. Fatima fled with her remaining family towards Chad until they were stopped by armed men near the border. She would not have survived had it not been for other fleeing families, who helped her cross into Chad and reach the border town of Adré where she received treatment. She was later relocated to Aboutengue refugee settlement where, after 20 days, she found her mother and other siblings. For two years, the war in Sudan has unleashed relentless suffering, violence, and mass displacement, forcing nearly 13 million people from their homes, including 3.9 million who have fled to neighbouring countries. Fatima is among more than 844,000 Sudanese refugees who have sought safety in eastern Chad since April 2023, the vast majority of them women and girls who are carrying the weight of their trauma while trying to survive in an unfamiliar land. Fatima was determined to rebuild her life and support other women in her community. Immediately after recovering from her injury, she mobilised fellow refugee women and formed an umbrella association that brings together various women's groups in the settlement. They run income-generating activities such as handicrafts, making traditional incense and perfumes, and basket weaving.

Metadata

Published to Youtube on: 10/06/2025

Archived on: 11/06/2025

Original URL (may no longer be available): https://youtube.com/watch?v=bcSFZwIJFoE