Opportunity knocks twice

She eventually moved to the Ajoung Thok refugee camp in South Sudan, supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). There, she found herself assuming a parental role for her younger siblings. This was a challenging period for Resala, but she dreamed of one day continuing her studies.

After finishing high school, she got a job in the camp and taught refugee students in one of the primary schools. This put less strain on her as she could better support her siblings with the income received. There was no internet or phone connectivity, so Resala sought permission from one of the high schools in the camp, which had internet and laptops, and used the facilities to work on her university applications. The school was located far from her home, and she was unable to check her mail daily. In 2020, she wrote her exams and was shortlisted for a scholarship opportunity in Turkey the following year. However, she missed out on that opportunity because she did not see the email requesting her to go to Juba, South Sudan, for the interview.

This was, however, not the end of Resala’s story. She heard about African Leadership University, applied, and was selected for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

Today, Resala is deeply passionate about education and seeks to address the issue of accessibility for young girls’ education. She does this by helping girls in her community apply for scholarships and providing transition support for those unable to continue their education in the camp. Resala’s efforts have paid off. Two young people she supported are Mastercard Foundation Scholars at United States International University-Africa, and another is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at ALU-Rwanda. She continues to help young people at the Ajoung Thok Refugee camp in South Sudan with their education.