FREEDOM
Samuel Makuach, 23, is an ambitious young man. He often wonders why he was unfortunate enough to have been born in South Sudan.
When war broke out in late 2013, Samuel was living in Malakal. His aunt took refuge in the nearby UN camp. He fled too, by swimming across the Nile river, and settled on the other side in the village of Wau Shilluk.
There, his life changed: during a cholera outbreak he began working as an interpreter for Doctors Without Borders. “At first I wanted to earn some money and leave. But it is very difficult.” Samuel feels tied to his land, and obliged to help his people.
The war began long ago, but he never seems to get used to it. It’s something he finds very difficult to accept. Violence always has a power to shock.
Why did you want to leave South Sudan? “Because I don’t want to die,” he answers frankly. “It’s better to leave. I don’t want to see people die, I don’t want to see dead bodies, I don’t want to lose friends.”
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