Diana Karua

Waka left South Sudan not only to escape war, but to protect his future and his right to an education. In Ethiopia, he’s working to save what the war nearly took. “I’ve seen like my dream want to end,” he says about his goal to study law. “But I’m not giving in. I’m not giving up. I will still pursue what I want as long [as] I still breathe.”

Waka was in secondary school in South Sudan when war broke out in 2013. He missed his math exam and was separated from friends he never saw again. Still, he managed to complete high school. But in 2016, violence erupted again, and Waka made the difficult decision to leave. Traveling mostly by foot, he crossed into Ethiopia, where he was registered as a refugee. “I’m a refugee in Ethiopia,” Waka shared. “What brought me [here] was conflict. Things were awful back home. It was very hard to pursue [a dream].”

Waka enrolled in university while living in Sherkole Refugee Camp in Ethiopia, and in 2022, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in law. Now, he hopes to study human rights law at a higher level. “There’s a lot of violations… not only in my country, but the world as a whole. I want to stand up for those who don’t have a voice.”

Waka has applied to multiple scholarships but says navigating them is difficult while living in the camp, without steady access to reliable internet and equipment. “Sometimes scholarships are announced, maybe with only two weeks before the deadline,” he said. “We don’t have enough computers, the room is very small. Ever since we started applying, we have never seen girls entering there, because it is not conducive for them.”

Despite these challenges, Waka remains hopeful.

When you face a lot of challenges, it means you are almost at what you want… I will not give up until I get what I want.

RefugePoint partners with refugees like Waka to access education opportunities by providing support throughout their journey—from school enrollment and vocational training to scholarship application support. In Ethiopia, RefugePoint’s Resettlement Expert provided support to Waka and other young refugees with their scholarship applications. These types of efforts make it possible for talented young people to continue their education and contribute to their communities.

“There is nothing wrong with being a refugee. And there’s nothing wrong with facing any challenges,” Waka said. “These are the things that I want everyone who’s outside there, who’s listening, who is going to see this, to know. We are here. We are not giving up on our dreams.”

My name is Grace. I am a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Before the war, life at home was pretty good. My family had a steady income from our cattle and land, and work wasn’t too tough. But we were missing peace. At night, armed groups would show up and start shooting without warning. They’d break into homes and kill anyone they found. They didn’t care if it was a child or a parent. A lot of people died, and those who survived had no choice but to leave.

My journey to Nairobi was long. I walked most of the way with a group of people, passing Bunagana into Busia, before a kind stranger gave us a ride to Nairobi. I arrived in Nairobi in March 2016 and reunited with my husband, who had fled in 2015. He was working as a security guard. My experience in Nairobi was really tough. I started selling vitenges (African wax prints), but I struggled with the local language. In Congo, we combine Kiswahili with French, but in Kenya, Kiswahili is often mixed with English. Initially, it was really confusing, but I put in a lot of effort to learn.

When my business failed, I started selling watermelons and pineapples. I might have been the first Congolese to sell fruits, so I felt embarrassed and would hide when I saw another Congolese. Later, I got a job selling African clothing and jewelry. After that, I worked at a water refill shop for about three years. But I realized that life kept changing. So I started saving, hoping that one day I could restart my business.

I saved enough money to start a clothing business. However, since clothing sales are seasonal, I struggled with paying rent and supporting my family. In 2024, I met Olive, a Community Navigator at RefugePoint. She referred me to RefugePoint, and in the same year, I was enrolled in the business training program. After the training, I changed my business plan and started selling food.

I sell maize flour, peanut flour, and cassava flour in small and bulk quantities. I also sell tomato paste. Food never goes out of season, and people buy it every day. I really love my job.

Self-reliance has changed my life. You can see where I started and how I’ve grown. I’ve moved to a new level. I’m able to work and pay my rent. I have a child, and I can also pay for my child’s school fees.

Life still has its ups and downs, but as long as we are healthy and strong, we can rebuild our lives. I see a bright future ahead of me. With hard work, savings, and determination, I believe my dream of owning a big business is possible.

*Name changed for protection.

My name is Nasraden and I’m a refugee from Ethiopia. I am a husband and a father of two children. I am separated from both my parents, sisters, brothers, aunt, and uncles back in my home country. I left my home country because of a political war. I was pursuing my studies when people were demonstrating against the government. The government started pursuing people to death, some of us were killed, others were taken to jail, and others ran away from our country. This is how we became refugees.

In 2016, I fled my country and traveled by a lorry to Kenya. I found myself in a foreign country where the language became a significant obstacle. Back in my home country, we don’t speak English or Kiswahili; we only speak Oromo and Amharic. Initially, my friend employed me to work in his shop. The language was a significant barrier to running the business, as I struggled to communicate effectively with my clients. Additionally, when COVID-19 came, we had to close down the shop for seven months for fear of contracting the disease.

During that time, I got married. I am now a father of two children. In 2023, I met Galgalo, RefugePoint’s Community Navigator, who introduced me to RefugePoint. I was given food to feed my family, house rent for six months, and medical assistance. Whenever I got sick or anyone in my family did, we would go to the public hospital, get a prescription, and then forward it to RefugePoint, where we would receive free medicine. I was also enrolled in business skills training, and subsequently, I received a grant to start my own business. I sell a variety of clothing items, including jeans, T-shirts, shirts, and jackets. I also sell various types of shoes. My business is doing well to the point that I can easily pay rent for my shop, where I work, and I can even pay my house rent without struggle.

I don’t know how to express my gratitude to RefugePoint. I would like to thank all the staff at RefugePoint, as you have done a great deal for me and my family. We don’t lack what to eat, we don’t lack school fees, we don’t lack house rent. Now, my life is not bad, but I will continue to press on and work hard with determination and seriousness so that I can transform my life into a better one.

I desire that my children attend good schools that offer a high quality of education, so that in the future, they can pursue careers as doctors, engineers, or other important professions.

Most importantly, I pray that one of my children will become president in my home country or even in Kenya.

I left my home country (Democratic Republic of the Congo) because of war. We were attacked at night. Houses were being burnt, and we ran away from my village on foot up to a specific area where we met truck drivers who gave us a ride in those big vehicles that carry charcoal from Congo to Uganda. From Uganda, we came to Kenya by bus through the Busia border.

Life was not easy when we arrived in Kenya. We lived in a church which also provided us with food and clothes. Life was hard because I didn’t have a job to provide for my family. That’s why I decided to begin hawking bottled water.

Before I met RefugePoint, I lived in a small house. My husband used to work for a transport company that operated buses from Nairobi to Mombasa, Kampala, and Rwanda. However, he later fell ill due to health issues and was unable to continue his work. RefugePoint provided us with food and medical support for my husband so that he could receive comprehensive treatment. After several months of treatment, he was finally healed. I also received business training and financial assistance to establish my own business. I worked hard until I had enough income from my business, then I moved into a bigger house where my children could sleep comfortably.

I am now a businesswoman. I sell a variety of phone accessories, including phone covers, screen protectors, earphones, phone chargers, and more. I also run an event hiring business where I provide decorations for events such as weddings, birthdays, graduations, bridal showers, and baby showers. Additionally, I rent out suits for men, wedding gowns, podiums, chairs, red and green carpets, stage lights, traditional attire and baskets. I have also started another business selling honey from Tanzania.

From the profit interest I get from my businesses, I am able to care for my family. I bought a large, expensive bed for my children, which they can now sleep comfortably on. I also bought good curtains for my house. For my savings, I deposit money in my home bank as soon as I receive it. In addition, we formed a chama (savings group) of three people, where each of us contributes KES 1,000 ($8) per day, and at the end of the month, everyone receives KES 30,000 ($230).

My businesses are doing well. I’m making enough profit to pay school fees, purchase food for my family, and save for my future. We used to spend a lot on my husband’s treatment, but since we started receiving medical assistance from RefugePoint, we are now doing well. What motivated me to engage in business is because I love to have my own money. I don’t like to be employed. If I want to buy something for my family I can purchase it with my money without burdening my husband. What makes me happy is that I can contribute something to my family instead of relying on others for support.