(CANADA) – A former South Sudanese refugee who survived abduction, displacement, and years in camps has shared her story with the South Eastman Rotary Club in Canada, highlighting the need for stronger support for women and youth in South Sudan and beyond.
Rebecca Atet Deng, born in Bor, told guests at the gala event that her life changed suddenly in 1987 when she was taken by rebels at the age of twelve during the Second Sudanese Civil War. She had been playing with her younger sister when armed groups entered the community and forced her, along with thousands of other children, on a long march toward Ethiopia. Many children lost their lives on the journey, and those who survived faced hunger, disease, and emotional hardship.
She explained that before the conflict her family had lived calmly. Her father, a police chief, was involved in politics, while her mother worked as a nurse. When the war began in 1983, her father was captured and imprisoned in Bor, remaining there for more than twenty years until a peace agreement was signed.
After his arrest, the family moved to Duk village. Her mother died in 1987, leaving the children under the care of their grandmother. It was during this period that rebel leaders ordered local commanders to move boys aged ten to fifteen to Ethiopia. In some areas, girls were also taken. Deng said the children still do not know why they were included.
The walk to Pinyidu refugee camp in Ethiopia took three months. Many children walked without shoes and arrived to find little assistance. After a year, the United Nations began providing clothing and food rations, and later the Red Cross began supporting the camp as well. Deng said the aid did not fully address the needs of girls, especially regarding hygiene and health.
Her journey continued in 1991 when conflict in Ethiopia forced the group back to Sudan and later to Pochalla. In 1992 they moved to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. At that point, she had been displaced for five years and was still only seventeen. She recalled crossing the Gilo River by holding on to a rope while people fled under pressure, with many unable to hold on as the current swept them away.
In Kakuma, she later married a young man who had also fled the fighting. She described the decision as one made out of fear, isolation, and the need for support rather than pressure from others. As a young mother, life remained difficult, and she struggled to raise her first child without guidance.
Deng later moved to Dadaab refugee camp in 1997, where she worked for the International Rescue Committee for three years. She led health education sessions and supported disease prevention efforts, but she faced personal loss when two of her children died due to malnutrition and inadequate medical care.
In 2000, the United States government offered resettlement to many of the Lost Boys and Girls, but Deng was not accepted as she was expecting a child. The US took 3,400 of the group, while Canada accepted around 2,000. Deng later applied for Canada’s programme with her younger sister and resettled there at the age of thirty.
She said Canada provided safety and stability for her family. Employment, access to education, and health services allowed her to rebuild her life. Still, she carried the emotional weight of her past, and she later recognised the need to confront that trauma so it would not affect her children.
Over the last twenty years in Canada, Deng has continued to work on her education. She completed her GED and is close to finishing her degree in human rights and conflict resolution at the University of Winnipeg. She is a single parent of two adult children.
In 2014, she founded The Excel Empowerment Centres (TEEC) in Winnipeg and Bor. The centres offer training in sewing, business skills, computer skills, English language, and financial literacy. The Bor centre also operates a shelter for internally displaced people, offering three months of accommodation, food, and mobile clinic services. The charity receives support from provincial and federal sources as well as private donors. She estimates that about 300 people use the centres every day.
She said that for many women in South Sudan, education is difficult to obtain. Girls are often kept at home while boys attend school. She shared an example of a woman who trained at the Bor centre, started her own sewing business, and became financially independent, enabling her to cover family needs without waiting for support.
Deng has received national recognition in Canada, including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022 and the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025. She said she was surprised by the awards, as she did not expect that people knew about her work in Canada and South Sudan.
She is also a member of the Rotary Club in Winnipeg and believes the organisation should continue expanding its grassroots efforts, especially in areas related to peacebuilding, clean water, and health.
In 2019, she spent time in Rwanda studying how the country moved past its conflict and how women came to hold a majority in parliament. She said Rwanda’s progress stemmed from acknowledging past mistakes, ending tribal divisions, and focusing on public services and unity. She believes South Sudan can follow a similar path if leaders take responsibility and invest in peace, infrastructure, and citizens.
Deng said her message is simple: supporting and training women is essential for peace and strong families. She believes that when women and youth have skills and opportunities, communities in South Sudan and elsewhere become more stable.
Her story, she said, should inspire people to help women gain skills, confidence, and independence. Such efforts, she believes, will contribute to lasting peace in South Sudan and in many other countries where women and youth are still facing the effects of conflict.
