For us, children of the camp, joy abounds.
Drums echo through the twilight, wild and free,
spinning our souls in a frenzy, smirks unbound,
surrendering us to jubilation, a dance of glee.
But now, hunger creeps with a cruel grip,
through the haunting world’s economy, it snakes.
Our smiles fade like petals in the snow,
and scarcity replaces what once lit our stakes.
Our eyes, once gleaming with vibrant visions,
now mirror the anguish of our sorrow.
The campsite, once a sanctuary – now a prison,
yet hope persists, a flicker in denial.
Our tiny frames, fragile like wilting flowers,
bear the weight of our plight, burdened and strained.
Our laughs transformed, masks of hidden powers,
strained, yet resilient, in despair not contained.
Our sunken cheeks speak of dreams extinguished,
by ruth-less famine, a thief in the night,
leaving behind a barren and dismal earth,
for us, children of the camp.
Yet deep within us, a light remains distinguished,
Yearning to re-ignite our lost smile, against the dark’s blight.
Read – Ancestral Smile – A Poem by Joseph Ikhenoba – Nigeria
—
Akuei 
Maliet Adol is a South Sudanese poet living in Kenya as a refugee for over two decades. Beyond his inspiring pursuits, Adol is a talented writer and mentor, using his wisdom to empower others. He often writes about health, peace, love, and the plight of refugees. His literary works are featured at PanLuel Wel Media Limited and Writers Space Africa [WSA] Magazine. Akuei is also the Reviewer of Reviews at WSA Magazine Review and serves as the moderator for WSA—South Sudan. He is an Editor and Co-founder of Ink of Hope Publishers in Nairobi. Currently, Adol is working on his first poetic anthology, “Echoes of a Refugee Soul,” in which he shares his profound refugee experiences to inspire other refugee youth.
Akuei holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Moi University and a postgraduate certificate in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the Refugee Studies Centre [RSC] Pathways at the University of Oxford. While at the university, he held various student leadership positions such as Secretary General for both the Nursing Students’ Association and the South Sudanese Students’ Union. He is currently working as a Nursing Officer Intern at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital in Kenya. Besides his clinical duties, he is a researcher, tutor, global health science enthusiast, sexual reproductive and mental health advocate, and a member of the prestigious Refugee Led Research Hub society.
As an alumnus scholar of the Albert Einstein German Refugee Academic Initiative, Adol applies his extensive knowledge and skills in refugee advocacy to instill hope in those affected by the turmoil. He also works as a certified peace trainer with the Fields of Peace Organization based in Oregon, USA [South Sudan Ignite Peace Circle], focusing on ending violence against children in war-torn countries. Adol is the Executive Finance Officer for Support and Educate South Sudanese Orphans [SESSO], a refugee-led community-based organization in Kakuma. He also serves as the Assistant Public Health Coordinator at diaspora for the Episcopal Diocese of Twic East in Juba, South Sudan. Additionally, he voluntarily serves as the Deputy Chairman for the Twic East Community in Eldoret, Kenya. Some of his core contributions to the community include launching the Twic East Tailoring Training Initiative for South Sudanese refugee women in Eldoret in 2021, writing the Diocesan project proposal for the construction of a mission health centre in South Sudan in 2023, and leading SESSO community fundraising efforts to support South Sudanese orphans in 2019.
