JUBA – “I see a better tomorrow – a South Sudan where we feel safe, laugh together, and can speak freely to our government.”
Raja Charity has seen more in her 24 years than others see in a lifetime. But instead of allowing her often desperate observations to make her bitter, she decided to dedicate her life to the pursuit of peace.
Growing up as member of the Mundari tribe, which is known for its largely isolated, cattle keeping lifestyle, her life took a path was far from usual.
“My family and community kept telling me to remain in the shadows and not draw too much public attention to not risk our safety. But I decided to break generational cycles and step out into the light.”
A light that has, not only, illuminated hers but also the lives of many around her.
While juggling her biochemistry studies at Juba University during the day and working as a nurse at night, she still doesn’t use her weekends to find rest but inspiration.
Last year, she started her own initiative, the ‘Sudo Poetry Hub’, which she describes as a place that “brings writers together to share and empower each other on how particularly poetry can set fundamental steps towards more peaceful communities.”
And her intuition proved right.
What started off as a small project soon turned into a big community that connects writers and activists all over the country, such as during the poetry slam tournament she hosted last September.
“I was amazed to see how much energy and passion for peace there was on the stage and beyond when participants let their thoughts translate into words and even actions,” shares the oldest of five siblings.
Although this type of platform wasn’t available to her when she grew up in a family marked by traditional approaches to life and little understanding for her creative pursuits, a similar initiative solidified her own aspirations:
“There was a time when I was very young and attended an advocacy event where I was inspired by speeches as well as participants. They inspired me so much that I vowed to follow in their footsteps and advocate for my people back home and the youth in South Sudan in general.”
Since poetry had been a great part of her life since age four, she decided to put it at the center of her activism, the first milestone on the way to ‘Sudo Poetry Hub’.
“Poetry is something very personal to me. Since everything in my life, my family as well as my country inspire me to write, it became not just part of my journey but the journey itself.”
A journey of freedom that she also hopes for her four younger siblings to embark on as she believes South Sudanese youth to be ready to take paths that differ from the ones they knew.
When asked if she never gets tired of fighting for what she believes in, she remembers the many friends and strangers that lifted her up when she went through dark phases:
“When I have hard times, I remember the many people that carried me through previous ones. I remember that we can only be better when we come together. So let’s come together, coordinate, speak our minds and work as a team to become the youth we want to be and build the country we want to belong to.”
By Jaella Brockmann
