Blogs
July 17, 2023 • 2 min read
Nyachua, Nyajuak and Nyakime are three-year-old triplets who were born in Gambela refugee camp in Ethiopia. Their mother, Nyakan, was forced to flee war-torn South Sudan and seek refuge in Ethiopia in 2014. The triplets were born in March of 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fighting infant malnutrition
When GOAL staff initially met the triplets in 2020, it was evident that two of the infants were malnourished. Their lives were saved by committed GOALies with an implemented programme called MAMI (Management of At-Risk Mothers and Infants). GOAL was the first international NGO to trial the innovative nutrition programme back in 2016, which targets infants from birth up to six months of age.
The triplets at admission to the MAMI programme in 2020
Happy and healthy triplets
After completion of the six-month nutrition programme, Nyakan wanted to explore a life with her family outside of Gambella refugee camp. GOAL staff members who were close to the family, and oversaw the treatment of the triplets, were worried about the challenges that Nyakan and her children would face outside of the camp.
The triplets at six months old, after being discharged from the MAMI programme
Recently a team of GOAL staff traveled to Nyakan’s new village to see how the family was doing. It was a 76-kilometre journey to the border town between Ethiopia and South Sudan, called Lare. Upon arrival, GOAL team members were elated to see healthy, happy children playing with their mother. GOALies noted that the children now look filled out, and their condition is a telltale sign that their toughest days are indeed behind them.
The happy and healthy triplets in 2023
“I was not sure about what was happening to them, and when I came to know that they were in critical condition, I was not sure whether they would survive or not,” Nyakan said. “I am so grateful to have [GOAL’s] support. Now they are healthy again and grow up well.”
Supporting refugees in Ethiopia
GOAL has been supporting South Sudanese refugees settled in two camps in the Gambela region of Ethiopia since 2016.
“The triplets’ story is among the successes that inspire us to do our best and save lives in our day-to-day interactions with the refugee community,” Guadie Abye, Refugee Programme Manager for GOAL Ethiopia, said. “It is with a deepest respect and appreciation that I thank GOAL team members who contributed to saving their lives. I am also grateful to ECHO, and our other partners and donors who made this possible.”
Nyakan holds her dreams close, hoping to see her children grow up, attend school, and have a better future. Currently those dreams are in the process of coming true, as her children are gearing up to attend kindergarten.
You can support GOAL’s work with families like Nyakan’s with a donation today.
