Written by: Admin_SheEvo
My name is Maria Nyamal. I’m a young lady, 24 years old and a South Sudanese. Due to the war that broke out in my country, I had to seek asylum as a refugee currently living at Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya with my siblings. My parents and my younger brothers are in South Sudan. Life as a refugee is quite tricky. For instance, lagging in education.
Due to the political instability back home, the education system isn’t well developed, so when I left for Kenya, I had to start my learning while much older. That aside is family separation. My family and I had been away from each other for nine years, and we had to reunite after I graduated from high school. Then we part ways again, remaining only with my siblings, who are still in school. In addition to the above, is cutting short of dreams and aspirations. This life is because, at some point, the conditions surrounding the people aren’t promising a better tomorrow; therefore people lose enthusiasm and the courage to move on.
The effects are so many. However, I haven’t let all these dim the light in me. After school, I tried to find ways to help my fellow refugees. I volunteered to teach the Kiswahili language at a school within my locality. The decision was because my fellow refugees had a pessimistic attitude towards the language, and I did well in the subject and understood it very well. I also tried to learn new skills like crotching, and I am doing great with it now.
Moreover, I took it upon myself to use my phone effectively.
Since I couldn’t afford to buy inspirational books, I downloaded some apps that helped me read autobiographies of great men and women who have gone through thick and thin but still emerged victorious. Their journey motivated them to do more. The stories of people like Malala Yousafzai, Oprah Winfrey, Nihari Mandal, Shanoo Begum, Dr Tererai Trent, Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther and many others. I also used YouTube to learn and watch channels like Ted Talk, and my zeal for a better tomorrow compelled me to do new things. That’s when I thought of writing down my thoughts. I have written some poems to express my emotions, experiences and life in general.
I also started to pen down my autobiography to capture moments from my birth to the far I have been. I also write short stories. I have also tried to get a scholarship to see me pursue my higher education; hopefully, the door will be open. So many things keep us going during challenging moments. In my case, it was my faith in God that He knows my tomorrow, my family, though they were far away, my relatives, Godly destiny relationships, and above all, my desire to see a better tomorrow for myself and my generation. Despite their difficulty, it is okay to add all the stories because they create our history.
~Nyamal Riek
