1 January 2026 | Seeta Mukono, Refugee-Hosting Community
On 1 January 2026, Trauma Rescue Aid (TRAID) organized a New Year celebration for refugee women and children from Sudan and South Sudan living in the refugee-hosting community of Seeta Mukono. It was a simple gathering, but a meaningful one. A moment to welcome the new year together and to remind survivors of war that they are not alone.
The women and children who attended this event have lived through things no one should have to experience. They fled conflict, violence, and insecurity in their home countries. Many women lost their homes, their husbands, their children, and their sense of safety. Some arrived with nothing except their children and the hope that life could somehow start again.
For many of them, daily life is still very hard. Food is limited. Work is uncertain. Trauma follows them quietly, showing up in fear, sadness, and exhaustion. Children carry memories they are too young to understand. Mothers carry pain they rarely speak about.
This New Year celebration was created as a small space of relief. A space where women could sit together, talk, laugh, and feel human again. A space where children could smile, play, and feel safe, even if only for a few hours.
During the gathering, many women shared their personal stories. They spoke about Sudan and South Sudan, about peace, and about how they used to celebrate the New Year back home with family, food, music, and community. Some spoke softly. Others needed time to find the words.
They shared memories of happier times, before the war. They also spoke about their experiences of violence, displacement, and survival. About running for safety. About loss. About the strength it took to keep going when everything familiar was taken away.
It was deeply moving to see the women meet each other, hug each other, smile, and dance together. In those moments, pain softened. Laughter returned. Bodies that have carried fear for so long were able to move freely again, even if just for a short time.
During the event, TRAID also awarded certificates to women who completed the Henna Project training. These women showed commitment and strength by attending the training despite the many challenges they face. The certificates were not just papers. They were a sign of recognition. A way of saying: your effort matters, your skills matter, and your future matters.
For some women, this was the first time since fleeing war that they were publicly recognized for something positive they achieved. There were smiles, quiet pride, and a sense of dignity that cannot be measured.
At Trauma Rescue Aid, we believe healing is not only about food, shelter, or counseling. Healing also comes from moments of joy, recognition, and connection. It comes from being reminded that there is still hope, even after loss.
As we begin 2026, we remain committed to walking alongside refugee women and children from Sudan and South Sudan. We will continue to support them through psychosocial care, skills training, and community-based programs that restore dignity and hope.
This New Year celebration was a small step, but for many, it meant everything.
Because even after war, life deserves to be celebrated.
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