Finding steadiness while life remains uncertain

She now lives with her family at Kalobeyei Reception Centre, where she is caring for a young child. Her husband looks for casual work when opportunities are available, while the family relies on assistance at the reception center to meet their needs.

Amal studied to university level in Sudan and had hoped to build a career. Since displacement, however, finding work has proved difficult. “I am unable to secure a job as much as I had been educated to university level back in my country,” she says.

Her concerns go beyond employment and meeting daily needs. Amal fears for her safety because some members of her family oppose her marriage. That fear has limited her confidence to move outside the reception center and look for work.

The losses she experienced, combined with concerns about her family’s safety and future, affected her emotional well-being. Amal describes a time when she felt stressed, became angry quickly and sometimes reacted before thinking about the consequences. The pressure also affected her relationship with her husband.

Through the Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) group psychosocial support programme, funded by the European Union’s humanitarian aid, Amal began learning ways to understand and manage these feelings. The programme brings refugees and asylum seekers together for sessions on stress, sadness and anger. Participants have an opportunity to reflect on their experiences, practice coping techniques and build connections with others.

One lesson stayed with Amal: the comparison between rising anger and milk boiling over. It gave her an image to remember when she feels her emotions escalating. “I am learning to control it,” she says. Amal continues to use breathing exercises when she feels anxious. She also says the sessions have helped her blame herself less and reflect on her experiences in a different way.

Another activity, known as the “River of Life,” encouraged participants to think about the different stages and experiences that shape their lives. For Amal, the image of a river offered a way to think about change, even when she could not see what lay ahead.

The family’s circumstances remain difficult. Amal hopes to continue her education, find work and provide her child with a safe and stable life. She also hopes for peace and reconciliation within her family. While the future remains uncertain, she believes that life can change and hopes those changes will be for the better.