As Diudonné Muka looked back at the trail of people stretching into the forest, he was met with a sight that would haunt him for the rest of his life - a river of multicoloured clothing cutting through the green expanse. He had just escaped the fighting in Luvungi, South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), along with thousands of others who were fleeing the town after it was bombed and taken over by the M23 rebel group.
The two-day trek, 21 miles long, took a toll on the family. Diudonné's wife, Noella Zawadi, had been eight months pregnant and caring for their two toddlers when they fled. The journey was arduous, with the family carrying whatever they could, including chairs, rugs, blankets, and sacks of food.
When they finally reached Busuma refugee camp in Burundi, they were met with a mix of languages - from Kiswahili to Kirundi Lingala and French. But the only sound that halted their progress was the relentless shelling by both sides, an eerie echo that would stay with Diudonné for the rest of his life.
The family had lived in Luvungi for years, farming their own land and raising livestock. They had planned to sell two tonnes of maize they had harvested, but all of that was lost when they fled. The only thing left behind were a few clothes and some belongings that were too heavy to carry.
When Diudonné and Noella arrived at the refugee camp, everything felt surreal. The items that once held their family together - preserving memories - were stolen or lost. They had left behind a collection of family photos that meant the world to them, as well as clothes they had worn on Sundays to church. Now, those items lay scattered in a distant town, lost forever.
The camp was overcrowded and resources were stretched thin, with Health risks remaining high due to disease outbreaks. There is also overcrowding which puts a strain on infrastructure making life even more challenging for the refugees who had lost everything.
Despite all this, Diudonné finds solace in his family. "I have my family," he says as his children play in the background. They have only two sets of clothes left and some cash from selling their goats. There is also a small comfort that they will be able to rebuild their lives - but it's hard to imagine returning home when everything reminds him of what was lost.
"It's like my family lost our whole life," Noella Zawadi says, her voice trembling with emotion.
The two-day trek, 21 miles long, took a toll on the family. Diudonné's wife, Noella Zawadi, had been eight months pregnant and caring for their two toddlers when they fled. The journey was arduous, with the family carrying whatever they could, including chairs, rugs, blankets, and sacks of food.
When they finally reached Busuma refugee camp in Burundi, they were met with a mix of languages - from Kiswahili to Kirundi Lingala and French. But the only sound that halted their progress was the relentless shelling by both sides, an eerie echo that would stay with Diudonné for the rest of his life.
The family had lived in Luvungi for years, farming their own land and raising livestock. They had planned to sell two tonnes of maize they had harvested, but all of that was lost when they fled. The only thing left behind were a few clothes and some belongings that were too heavy to carry.
When Diudonné and Noella arrived at the refugee camp, everything felt surreal. The items that once held their family together - preserving memories - were stolen or lost. They had left behind a collection of family photos that meant the world to them, as well as clothes they had worn on Sundays to church. Now, those items lay scattered in a distant town, lost forever.
The camp was overcrowded and resources were stretched thin, with Health risks remaining high due to disease outbreaks. There is also overcrowding which puts a strain on infrastructure making life even more challenging for the refugees who had lost everything.
Despite all this, Diudonné finds solace in his family. "I have my family," he says as his children play in the background. They have only two sets of clothes left and some cash from selling their goats. There is also a small comfort that they will be able to rebuild their lives - but it's hard to imagine returning home when everything reminds him of what was lost.
"It's like my family lost our whole life," Noella Zawadi says, her voice trembling with emotion.
I'm literally speechless rn... just thinking about Diudonné and his fam leaving behind EVERYTHING they had, just to escape the war in DRC... 21 miles of trekking with all their belongings? That's insane! 
And to think they lost everything - photos, clothes, goats... it's like all their memories are gone 
. But what's even more inspiring is how Diudonné and Noella are still holding on to each other and finding comfort in the little things... having their fam back together is like a lifeline to them 
. It's heartbreaking, but also gives me hope that ppl can find a way to rebuild and move forward despite all the chaos around them 
this is so heartbreaking! I mean, can you even imagine having to leave behind your entire life and start from scratch? Like, I get it, war and stuff happens, but this is just devastating 
. And the thought of all those people stuck in a crowded refugee camp with nothin' but the clothes on their backs is just heartbreaking 
It's just this never-endin' cycle of loss and displacement... 
. and now they're stuck in this overcrowded camp with no resources, it's like a nightmare come true 
. And the fact that they lost their livelihood, their land, their whole life... it's like, what do they have left now? 
The fact that they have some cash from selling their goats and only two sets of clothes left... it's like, maybe things can get better from here 
and leave them with nothing but scattered family photos 
that's like, the ultimate sacrifice 4 humanity. annd the fact dat dey cant even bring some photos or memories back 
it's just too much. n now dey r stuck in dis overcrowded camp witout resources 
annd a lil cash from sellin goats 
so i guess dat's somethin 
and its not just diudonné & noella who r sufferin, thousands of ppl fled luvungi after it got bombed 
and now they r livin in overcrowded camps w disease outbreaks 
its like the world forgot about dem. 
they lost so much, including their livelihood... rebuilding from scratch must be like, super hard 
. It's amazing that they're still holding on to each other and finding comfort in the little things 
. We need to be supporting these families more and finding ways to help them rebuild their communities 
they need basic necessities like food, water, shelter... it's not like they just have a spare set of clothes lying around 
it's like they lost everything that mattered... their home, their livelihood, their whole life. how do you even start rebuilding from that? 
den dey'll bring so much joy 2 di refugee camp n help brighten up someone's day 
it's like dey r startin from scratch but how can u rebuild ur life when everythin u had is gone? 