Ali*, 13 and Nour*, 10, Sudan

When Save the Children came and gave me this wheelchair, my self-confidence grew. It motivated me not to give up, and it made me think that the future is worth pursuing and that nothing is impossible.

Ali, 13, and his younger brother Nour, 10, were playing football in Khartoum, Sudan when their childhood was shattered in an instant. 

During the outbreak of fighting in April 2023, a ball rolled into the street. As the boys ran after it, a shell exploded nearby. Ali lost his leg instantly. Nour was critically injured, suffering severe abdominal wounds and a spinal fracture that left him paralyzed. 

What followed was a long and difficult search for medical care amid the collapse of Sudan’s health system. With their father remaining in Sennar for work, their mother took on the responsibility of finding urgent treatment for her sons. The family was forced to move repeatedly, from Khartoum to Gezira and then to Gedarif, as insecurity spread and hospitals and essential services were repeatedly disrupted. 

Nour’s care was interrupted multiple times due to attacks on medical facilities and shortages of staff and equipment. When the family finally reached Gedarif, he was admitted to a pediatric emergency hospital, where he underwent several surgeries, including procedures to address complications from his injuries. He continues to require specialized care. 

Ali and Nour’s experience reflects a broader reality for children caught up in conflict. Explosive weapons, including shelling, airstrikes, and explosive remnants of war, were responsible for more than 60% of all recorded child deaths and injuries between 2020 and 2024. 

Today, the family lives in a displacement camp in Gedarif, still facing daily medical and psychosocial challenges. But amid the uncertainty, there are signs of hope. 

Save the Children has supported the family with essential household items, school supplies, psychosocial support, and mobility aids, including an electric wheelchair for Ali, helping him regain independence and return to school. 

For Ali, that return has been transformative. “This electric wheelchair has changed my life,” he says. “I can reach school on time and move more easily. I believe things will get better.” 

Back in class, Ali found a renewed purpose. He participates in activities, supports his family when he can, and is once again looking toward the future. He dreams of studying at university, with a favourite subject in geography and a long-term ambition of becoming a doctor, specializing in neurology so he can help children like his brother. 

“I want to succeed in my studies,” Ali says. “I want to become someone of value through education. I wish to become a doctor and treat cases like [Nour’s].”

*Name changed for protection. 

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