Where Hope Finds Shelter: Inside ADAFIN’s One-Stop Centers for GBV Survivors
In the heart of Aweil, just beyond the noise of daily life, stands a modest building that carries the weight of many wounded souls. It’s called the One-Stop Center — but for countless women and girls, it is the first stop on the long, painful, yet healing road away from violence.
We met Mary, a soft-spoken woman in her late twenties, whose eyes carried stories she couldn’t fully articulate. She sat under a tree near the shelter, clutching a small beaded bracelet — the first thing she made during therapy sessions. For years, Mary endured unspeakable acts at the hands of her husband. In a society where silence is often mistaken for strength, her cries were swallowed by cultural norms and fear. But when she learned of ADAFIN’s One-Stop Center through a neighbor, she took the most courageous step of her life: she ran.
“I was not sure I would make it alive,” she whispered. “But when I came here, they treated me like a human being. For the first time, someone believed me.”
At the Center, Mary received medical care to tend to physical injuries, counseling to start mending her emotional scars, and legal aid to seek justice. She’s one of over 4,000 survivors who have walked through ADAFIN’s doors since 2019. Some arrived on foot, others smuggled in the dead of night by friends or sympathetic strangers. They come broken, but many leave renewed — not because the pain disappears overnight, but because they are no longer alone.
The staff at the Center are more than professionals — they are confidants, protectors, and, often, family. “Each woman here carries a story that could break you,” says Nyakuoth, one of the Center’s counselors. “But we’ve also seen them rise. That is why we stay — to see them rise.”
Beyond shelter and immediate support, ADAFIN ensures these women rebuild their lives. Survivors are introduced to vocational training — soap making, beadwork, tailoring — skills that not only put food on the table but restore dignity and independence. Mary now teaches beadwork to newer arrivals, her soft voice firm with confidence she never thought she’d regain.
But the One-Stop Center’s success does not rest on charity alone. Every meal served, every legal file prepared, every counseling session held — is made possible through the generosity of donors, the dedication of volunteers, and partnerships with organizations like UNFPA.
Yet the need is overwhelming. Every week, new survivors arrive. Some must be turned away because the resources are stretched thin. The shelters are small; the beds are few. But the suffering out there is endless.
This is where you come in. Whether you are a well-wisher, a donor, a corporate entity with a CSR budget, or an individual with a heart to help — you can make a difference. Every shilling, dollar, or hour volunteered helps us keep the doors open for the next Mary, the next Amina, the next survivor.
Let us not wait until another woman suffers in silence. Together, we can turn this shelter into a sanctuary — a true beacon of hope in South Sudan.
👉 Support our mission. Donate, Volunteer, or Partner with ADAFIN today.
