Mary Akon Akech Thiek's story is the same for thousands of people across the world who have their lives torn apart by conflict.
She was born in Sudan, but when conflict erupted there in the 1990s, she fled with her family into neighbouring Kenya when she was only 7 years old.
After spending most of her childhood in a refugee camp, Mary married a man in 2005 who later travelled with her to Australia in 2008.
Her family remained in Africa but in 2013, she lost contact with them and heard nothing for years.
“I was thinking they weren’t alive because it had been four years without contact,” Mary told SBS World News.
Mary’s daughter, Nyankor Dhor, aged 3 years, holds a picture of her grandmother who she has never met. Source: Dilini Perera, Australian Red Cross
When the Red Cross knocked on her door to deliver a message from her long lost family, she was overjoyed.
“I go straight away to the office and when I hear the message… I ask her can I try [to call] straight away and I hear my mum’s voice,” she said.
“I’m really happy at that time because I was thinking my mum and all my brothers are not alive.”
Her mother and siblings were still in a refugee camp in Uganda, but were safe and very much alive.
Mary’s letter was just one of a flood of messages the Red Cross received from refugee camps in Uganda this year.
In the past six months the organisation has seen an increase in tracing requests from several countries in Africa including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.
Katherine Wright works in the Restoring Family Links Program with Australian Red Cross and said across Australia, the majority of their cases are from areas of Africa.
“Including the Red Cross message Mary had delivered to her, that was part of almost 80 Red Cross messages we received in two batches from one particular camp in Uganda… to get that sort of volume is quite unusual,” she said.
Mary with Katherine Wright from Red Cross international tracing service. Source: Dilini Perera, Australian Red Cross
Each year Red Cross Australia receives over 1000 tracing requests, and of those around 40 per cent are resolved.
The tracing service began in 1915, when it was used to help reconnect servicemen separated from their families during World War I.
Since then they have been helping families reconnect across the globe.
“We have this global network across the world in 191 countries, we are unique in the fact that we are neutral and impartial and so therefore can get access to places that other organisations definitely can’t,” Ms Wright said.
“The impact of family separation and of not knowing where family members are can’t be underestimated… we want to help mitigate that, we want to alleviate those feelings of suffering of people.”
Unfortunately, resettlement of refugees goes beyond what the Red Cross can do, so for now Mary’s family will remain in Uganda.
“I want my family to come with me, because I’ve been for a long time without my mum,” Mary said.
“I miss them a lot… I want to see them in Australia.”
While she has managed to find her mother and siblings, her father is still missing.
Mary speaking on the phone with her mother in Uganda. Source: Dilini Perera, Australian Red Cross
“I hear my mum is in Uganda now with my sister and my brother and I never hear where is my dad, still haven't found out where my dad is,” Mary said.
Today Mary lives in Melbourne’s outer suburbs with her five young children and hopes that one day they will meet their grandparents.
If you or someone you know would like Red Cross help to find a missing loved, or email [email protected].
