A young mother. A child in danger. A family fleeing conflict.

‘The violence broke out during the night. People were being killed... We fled that same night.’

In terror, Achol – heavily pregnant and with her husband working far away – had no choice but to grab her children and flee into the dark. To this day, she still has no news of where her husband is.

Before gunfire shattered her home in Sudan, Achol lived a good life. She took great pride in running her own tea shop and providing a safe, happy home for her young family.

Will you help families like Achol’s facing conflict and uncertainty this Christmas? Your gift will be doubled, so your generosity will reach even more of our neighbours in need around the world.

Giving birth on the road under a tree

Desperate to reach safety in South Sudan, Achol went into labour while on the back of a truck. For two days, she endured contractions on rough dirt roads, before the truck stopped just long enough for her to give birth under a tree.

No medical care. No bed. No clean water or soap.

As we reflect on the first Christmas, don’t we hear its echoes in Achol’s story? A young mother, giving birth far from home, and fleeing danger with her newborn.

Another refugee gave Achol her own head veil to wrap the newborn in. Within an hour, they were back on the road.

Achol is just one of over a million people who have fled into South Sudan, arriving exhausted and facing hunger, cold, and an uncertain future. Tearfund is right there with them. Your support could help meet the immediate needs of refugees and help families rebuild their lives.

No room at the inn: fleeing conflict, finding hope

Reaching South Sudan brought no immediate shelter for Achol. She spent her first month sleeping on bare dirt with her newborn and two young children.

But through Tearfund, life-saving support arrived when she needed it most. ‘Hunger has reduced... Now, things are slowly improving,’ says Achol.

While she remains without news of her husband, her faith holds firm: ‘The Word of God gives me strength. I stay strong because of my children.’

Around the world, millions more families face cold, uncertain nights this Christmas. Your compassionate gift, doubled, could help Tearfund reach them with life-saving food, medicine and emergency shelter through local churches trained to serve their communities. Together, we can make this Christmas count.