Escape from Lubumbashi: A Refugee’s Journey on Foot to Reunite Her Family

This book is a powerful intimate account of belonging and the anguish of displacement, of settling and being uprooted and how a deeply troubled household navigates this across time and space. It highlights the vulnerability of women and children in times of war and unrest.

Estelle Neethling met Adolphine while working for the South African Red Cross Society as national tracing coordinator (Restoring of Family Links Programme, International Committee of the Red Cross). This book done over nine years was life-changing mainly in that Neethling became familiar with the enormous challenges faced by displaced people. Neethling felt the strong need to tell Adolphine’s story after having known her for many years.