The Hands That Reached Us By Esther Keji

In the ashes of broken promises and hope,

The light blue and white came 

In 1945, eighty years ago.

Not with swords, nor with arrows...

But with peace upon its wings,

Trust in every shade of sky,

And hope that binds all hearts as one 

Hope against bloodshed, famine, and despair.

UNMISS! standing tall like a wall

Between fear and faith,

Guarding dreams that trembled in the dark,

Holding peace like a candle

Against the wind.

UNICEF! oh, mother to the children,

Wiping tears that war forgot to count.

Filling empty classrooms with voices,

Reminding the young that pencils, not guns,

Should shape their futures.

I am in school today because UNICEF

Gave me the tools to dream again.

WFP! Walking through hunger’s hollow eyes,

Breaking bread with the broken,

Turning meals into messages:

“You are seen. You are still ours.”

FAO, kneeling in the ashes,

Planting hope, seed by seed,

While UNHCR spread tents like open arms,

Sheltering dreams that had lost their homes.

UNFPA, whispering courage to women,

Teaching that silence is not surrender,

That strength wears every shade of pain.

WHO, with healing hands,

Restoring not just bodies, but belief.

And UNDP, building roads not only of stone,

But of second chances, step by step, soul by soul.

And the entire UN family

Reminds us:

Human rights are not just words on a document 

They are lives.

They are us.

And though peace still walks

On tender feet,

Their footprints remain 

In every village, every camp, every heart 

Guiding South Sudan toward a dawn

Where dignity wears no uniform,

And justice speaks every tongue.