In Bronkhorstspruit, a small town between Pretoria and Emalahleni, a group of at least twenty refugee children, ranging from one month to twenty-one years old, are living in difficult conditions. Their hopes for a better future, once fueled by dreams of a new life, have faded as they struggle with the harsh realities of their current situation. For years, these families have sought asylum, hoping to resettle elsewhere, but time has turned their dreams into an ongoing struggle.
The camp where they live is rundown, with just two classrooms and a tent housing 16 families. Despite the hardships, these families hold on to the hope that their children will one day receive an education.
Victoria Kifoto, one of the refugees, shares the pain of seeing other children in school while her own children remain without education. “Not going to school is painful for us because we see other kids learning,” she says. “We feel stuck in one place and it hurts. Please come and help us.”
These families, who fled violence and xenophobia in 2019, now find themselves trapped in a cycle of despair. They once dreamed of a better life, a dream often tied to the ideal of the “American dream.” But years have passed, and for many, these dreams seem distant, while their children face a future without education.
Johnson, another refugee, describes the dire situation. “We’ve been here for over two years, waiting and hoping. We came in 2022, and now we live in fear of snakes and other dangers. Please, for the sake of human rights, help us.”
The conditions in the camp are a daily struggle. There is no clean water, and families are forced to share water with local wildlife. “Sometimes we have to drink water that animals have used because there is no clean water here,” Johnson explains. “The UNHCR promised help, but we feel forgotten.”
The refugees had been living outside the Pretoria offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) until they were evicted in 2022. The eviction was carried out following a court order from the Gauteng High Court. Some families are still separated after the eviction.
In a conversation with Jesus Perez Sanchez, Senior Protection Officer at UNHCR, he explained that the organization had offered relocation options, either back to their home countries or within South Africa. However, many refugees refused, fearing further persecution and xenophobia.
“They have been in our care before, and we offered them an integration package in South Africa, which would have provided rental assistance for three months. Unfortunately, they refused this offer,” Sanchez said.
The refugees continue to seek resettlement outside South Africa. “We want to leave South Africa because it is traumatising. We endure constant pressure to return to places we fled,” Johnson says.
While some refugees have received support from local universities, including the University of Pretoria and the University of South Africa, their focus remains on resettlement rather than integration into South African society.
Lance Thomas from the Centre for Faith and Community at the University of Pretoria notes the complexities of the situation. “We’ve spent two years trying to engage with the group at the farm. There have been some successes in terms of social integration, but many still want to be resettled outside South Africa,” he says.
Despite the efforts made by UNHCR, Sanchez emphasizes that the organization’s resources are limited, and the criteria for resettlement to countries like Canada or the US are strict. “They only insist that they want support to travel to Canada or the US, but it doesn’t work that way. There are specific vulnerability criteria, and resettlement depends on what the receiving countries require,” he says.
Food security is another significant issue in the camp. Families have attempted to grow food in a small vegetable garden, but it is not enough to feed them. Some young men even resort to catching frogs from nearby ponds. Young girls often walk long distances to collect firewood and water.
“The conditions here are terrible. We often suffer from hunger and lack resources,” Mary Kongolo, a young refugee, says. “We need help because we’re worried about our future. It doesn’t look good.”
What truly resonates through these hardships is the impact on the children. Their lost years of education and broken dreams highlight the devastating effect of their circumstances. “Every child has a right to go to school,” a UNHCR representative says. Yet for these children, their parents’ pursuit of the “American dream” has cost them their right to education.
According to UNICEF, every child is entitled to an education, but these children’s dreams remain unfulfilled. The situation has been worsened by recent funding cuts to refugee programs, particularly under the Trump administration, which has left many families in despair.
Now, these refugees are caught between two harsh choices: accepting relocation within South Africa or continuing to chase an elusive American dream. For the children, the simple desire is to go to school, to find hope, and to dream once again.
