“I come from a family of nine. I am the first person in my family to complete high school. This makes me feel good and motivated. School was difficult, considering I joined late, but I had to finish. God was faithful, and I completed high school last year (2023). Something that motivated me to join school was that I wanted to be different. If I had not gone to school, I would probably be in the streets, and I didn’t want that. Education has significantly changed my life,” Joshua, an 18-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, shared with us during a recent visit.
In 2017, Joshua and his family were forced to flee their home due to attacks by the Mai Mai rebels. When they arrived in Kenya as refugees, Joshua and his siblings were not able to attend school due to the cost of tuition. Despite this hurdle, Joshua enrolled in English language classes for six months hoping to learn to communicate in English. “Switching from French to English wasn’t easy,” Joshua recalled. “I worked hard to learn English and pushed through the challenges.” One year later, in 2018, Joshua’s family connected with RefugePoint and began receiving stabilization services including medical, food, rent, and education support. Joshua and three of his six siblings were able to enroll in school.
With RefugePoint’s support, Joshua completed middle school and high school, and is now enrolled in a hair and beauty course through RefugePoint’s Apprenticeship and Vocational Skills Training Program. This eight-month course, which Joshua will complete in September 2024, will equip Joshua with the skills he needs for a career in the beauty industry. “It’s my sister who inspired me to do beauty,” Joshua shared with us. “Beauty is something I have always admired since way back when I was in Form 3. I used to see how my sister did it, and I developed an interest in it.”
Joshua dreams of one day opening his own beauty parlor, which he hopes will allow his family to live without financial challenges. “My hope for my family is that we’ll rise one day. I want my family to one day be able to live without stress. Stress from rent and all that,” Joshua said. He also hopes that his career in the beauty business will support his other passion: making music.
“I realized my passion for music at a very young age. I used to follow my sister as she went to church choir practice instead of being idle. I loved how they sang and, with time, I realized I could compose. In 2021, I composed my first song. I have about 12 songs now. I am so passionate about music because it’s inborn, unlike my course. Getting this opportunity to pursue an education means a lot to me. If I had never been able to join a primary or high school, my life would have been miserable, considering I was young in a foreign country. Without this education, I would probably be nowhere,” Joshua shared.
*Name changed for protection