When violence swept through Rose’s village in South Sudan, her home was burned and everything she depended on was lost. A 35-year-old mother of six, Rose fled with her children, walking for two days through the wilderness with no food or water, surviving on wild fruits as she pushed forward to keep her family alive. At the Ugandan border she had no documents—everything had been destroyed in the fire—but officials allowed them to cross, and they reached Palabek Refugee Settlement.
In Palabek, Rose carried the burdens of displacement and single motherhood; her husband had abandoned the family years earlier. With scarce opportunities and never enough food, she worked exhausting jobs just to supplement rations. When her two teenage daughters became pregnant and the fathers left, Rose faced added worry, stigma, and isolation—pressure that left her lying awake at night with grief and fear.
Selected for THRIVEGulu’s 12-week Dance+Therapy program, Rose entered a supportive space for healing through movement, storytelling, guided breathing, and community. In that circle, she learned simple techniques to calm her mind in moments of distress, to name what she was carrying, and to feel seen rather than judged. Over time, the heavy feelings began to loosen. Rose rediscovered moments of joy and a renewed sense of dignity—proof that resilience can grow when women are met with compassion and given a safe space to heal. Today, she is determined to keep building emotional strength for herself and her family, one steady breath and one supportive connection at a time.
