“The RFL work I do fills me with purpose and gratitude. It is more than a job, it’s a mission to restore hope to families torn apart by conflict. Reconnecting loved ones not only brings people together but heals communities and restores a sense of belonging. The profound impact of this work, even in the darkest moments, reignites hope and helps rebuild society,” Natalia said as she received the medal.

The Family Link Medal was created by the Red Cross Council of Delegates in 2022 to pay special tribute to staff and volunteers who work, often under the most difficult circumstances, to maintain or restore contact between separated family members, search for their loved ones, or reunite families separated by conflict, disaster, migration, or other humanitarian situations.

Natalia became a key pillar of the SSRC’s RFL efforts in Yambio Branch.

Together with the ICRC, she conducted tracing efforts for missing persons in the aftermath of several conflicts, including clashes that erupted in Tambura and Ezo between communities in the year 2018 and 2021.

These efforts enabled 150 people to write and send Red Cross Messages to their loved ones, and 50 people were successfully traced and reconnected with their families using RFL Mobile Phones.

As conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) led to an influx of displaced people seeking refuge in South Sudan’s Makpandu Refugee Camp in Yambio, Natalia also supported the establishment of a community relay in partnership with the ICRC to trace missing family members across borders.

Through these efforts, five children from DRC were reunited with their families in Ezo County.

Natalia’s recruitment was a turning point for the SSRC’s RFL efforts in the region.

Her dedication and expertise have provided essential support to the most vulnerable, offering hope and reuniting those affected by conflict and displacement.

Her dedication to Restoring Family Links (RFL) work is driven by her commitment to strengthening her capacity to respond to emergencies.

This award not only recognizes Natalia’s personal contributions but also highlights the efforts of the South Sudan Red Cross and the Red Cross Movement in South Sudan. Currently, the South Sudan RedCross and ICRC are working closely to restore family links of people who fled to South Sudan from Sudan and other places.