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In the dust-blown refugee settlements of eastern Chad, far from the scorched earth of Darfur, a quiet revolution is taking root. It is not one of politics or weapons, but of resilience, community, and the enduring strength of Sudanese women who are turning unimaginable loss into purposeful action.
Among them is Fatima Zakaria, a 27-year-old university graduate whose life was violently uprooted in June 2023 when her hometown of El Geneina in western Darfur was attacked. Once a social worker for Sudan’s Ministry of Social Affairs and aspiring to pursue higher studies, Fatima found herself fleeing for her life with the remnants of her family.
“We were scattered. My family fled in different directions, and I got separated from my mother and some of my siblings,” she said.
Near the Chad-Sudan border, Fatima witnessed the brutal killing of her father, husband, and three siblings. She herself was shot in the leg. It was only through the compassion of fellow fleeing families that she managed to cross into Chad, eventually receiving treatment in the border town of Adré. Later relocated to Aboutengue refugee settlement, she was reunited with her mother and surviving siblings nearly three weeks after her arrival.
“I thought all of them had been killed, and I was left alone in this world,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “But thank God, they were alive.”
Her story is just one among many. Since the outbreak of renewed conflict in Sudan in April 2023, nearly 13 million people have been displaced. Over 844,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), with the vast majority being women and children. Just last month, more than 68,000 new arrivals crossed into Chad’s Wadi Fira and Ennedi Est provinces, averaging around 1,400 people per day.
Healing Through Unity
For Fatima, survival was only the beginning. Even as she recovered physically, she turned her pain into purpose, founding a women’s umbrella association that now supports numerous groups in Aboutengue. From making incense and perfumes to weaving baskets and creating handicrafts, these women are finding both healing and livelihood through shared enterprise.
“The majority of these women are widows,” said Fatima. “Some of them lost their husbands in front of their eyes. Others do not know where their loved ones are. I created the association to empower them to generate income in the camp.”
Her modest home has become the beating heart of the initiative, hosting weekly meetings where women exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and offer each other emotional support. It is a space where fear is gradually giving way to hope.
“What I see now, thanks to God, is that women can adapt to their new situation and raise their children with hope for a better tomorrow,” Fatima added. “And that one day they can return home.”
From Loss to Leadership
In Farchana settlement, several hundred kilometres away, another remarkable woman is forging her own path. Radwa Abdelkarim, 37, once ran a prosperous business in El Geneina, selling fuel and goods to local traders. Everything changed when the conflict erupted.
“The war took everything,” she said. “We lost our money, our relatives and neighbours. Some were killed. Others disappeared and are still missing.”
When Radwa arrived in Chad in June 2023, she used her business skills and cash assistance from UNHCR to start baking bread. From that humble beginning, she has since opened two grocery shops and a small restaurant, employing 12 fellow refugees.
“I like helping people because everyone needs support,” she explained. “That is why I support fellow refugee women, so that we can grow together. No one should be left behind.”
Her efforts, like Fatima’s, embody the quiet resilience and leadership of women who refuse to be defined by their suffering.
Keeping Culture Alive
Back in Aboutengue, the scent of bakhour—traditional Sudanese incense—floats through the air as Fatima chairs another meeting of the women’s association. The products on display are more than just goods for sale; they are a connection to the homes they lost and a way of keeping culture and memory alive in exile.
Fatima, though fully immersed in her community work, still clings to her dream of higher education.
“I want to advance my studies so I can take care of my mother, who is a widow like me, and my sisters who are facing a similar situation,” she said. “Education will help us in the long run.”
Her words echo the determination of countless Sudanese women who, despite losing everything, are finding strength in each other and laying the foundation for a better future.
As the world marks yet another year of conflict and displacement, these women stand as a powerful reminder that resilience is not a passive endurance of suffering but an active, collective reclaiming of life.
