My Journey with OPOTO – A Beacon of Hope

My name is Gai Manyun a 20-year-old South Sudanese refugee currently living in Kenya. My father was an old man and I am the 1st born from my mother. In early 2013 my Uncle took me from the village to Juba city to pursue my studies. Unfortunately, he was among the first people to get killed on 17th of December 2013 when the Civil War started in South Sudan. Following his death, I became hopeless and helpless. Shortly after my uncle’s death, in January 2014, I got the news of my dad death and the displacement of my siblings by war in the village, further worsening my situation. I was forced to live on the streets, surviving on the leftover food from well-wishers and, without anywhere to sleep as there was no relatives around to help me. I could also not go back to my Village as there was insecurity all over the country. Andrew Lang, who was a humanitarian worker working with MSF OCA at that time came to my rescue. He brought me to Kenya and took me to his residence. Since then, Mr. Lang has continued to support me and provide for my basic needs including food, clothing, school fees, and healthcare.

In June 2023, I was diagnosed with renal failure, where it was found that both of my kidneys are not functioning completely. As a result, I have to undergo dialysis twice every week, which is a very expensive treatment. Andrew Lang, through OPOTO has continued to selflessly cater for my medical bills. Apart from dialysis, the only other option would be Kidney transplant, which is equally expensive. Often, I am scared about what would happen next, but I am thankful to OPOTO for taking care of me despite the challenges. I pray for the organisation to get funding and continue to help the children in need.