This year, I decided to talk with refugee children and youth in Yumbe District, Uganda. My main interest was to listen to their stories firsthand and learn why they left their home country and settled in Uganda, what their education experiences have been like, and what hopes they hold for the future.
With support from my colleague, Christopher Aisha, I spoke with Isaac (15), Jackline (17), Betty (16), Peter (18), Emmanuel (17), and Agnes (18). They are six young people from South Sudan who were displaced and became refugees in Uganda when they were between the ages of 5 and 7. Currently, they are enrolled in a program for out-of-school children that Geneva Global Uganda manages in several districts.
We know that most refugees flee their homes because of disasters, war, conflict, and persecution. But hearing this directly from the children themselves had a stronger impact, at least on me. One young person’s family was forced to relocate after her father was killed in a conflict; another had lost loved ones; and yet another spoke of hearing gunshots all over the place. Living through such traumatic experiences as 5-to-7-year-old children would surely leave a deep mark. I can only imagine the physical and mental suffering they have endured since then.
When families flee their countries, some children manage to enroll in school while others do not. This is no different for these six young people. They had to drop out of school early for many reasons. They talked about how difficult it was to study. One said his parents did not have enough money for school; others cited lack of support; and another had to work to support the family. One of the girls named teen pregnancy as the main reason she dropped out. Again, these are common reasons why children do not go to school or leave school early. But hearing children talk about them matter-of-factly, as if they are “normal” things that happen to refugee children, stirs deep emotions about war, conflict, and the people behind them.
One silver lining for these young people was that they managed to join Speed School to catch up on their education. Geneva Global Uganda offers Speed School classes for both refugee and national out-of-school children. Currently, Geneva Global Uganda operates more than 155 Speed School classes, benefiting thousands of out-of-school children in various districts. These six young people are in Yumbe District under a UNICEF-funded project. For Geneva Global Uganda, these Speed School classes not only provide an opportunity for children to go back to school but also give them a small sense of normalcy. The classrooms are spaces for these refugees to feel good about themselves, to heal, to forget about suffering, though temporarily, and regain a sense of belonging. In addition, they learn more than literacy and numeracy. They have been learning about leadership, taking initiative, and other traits they will need as they grow up.
When asked why they joined Speed School, the young people had a clear answer: they want to learn. For them, learning leads to becoming better people, being better able to help their families, and gaining knowledge. One also added that he wanted to make more friends. They also linked studying to having a better future. Their dreams included becoming a doctor, a teacher, and a billboard artist. All of the young people suggested that Speed School gave them another opportunity to go back to school. They want to continue their education so they can achieve their goals.
The refugee children also reflected on how Speed School contributes to their growth. They described how they feel supported not only through receiving school supplies, books, and bags for free, but also through being treated well by teachers, called “facilitators” in Speed School. One of the girls reflected that a female facilitator treats her like a mother, not just a teacher — something deeply needed, as these young people have suffered and continue to suffer a great deal.
As we recognize World Refugee Day and having read about these young people’s experiences, let us remember the millions of refugees who struggle every day to make the best possible life for their children and families. Let us remember that these families need help with food, shelter, and safety, but also with education. Let us remember that education brings children and youth elements of stability, belonging, safety, and peace. Most of all, education gives them hope: hope for a better future where they can become doctors, teachers, police officers, businesspeople, or billboard artists. Education can mean the difference between a life of uncertainty and one of possibility.
On this day, we salute refugees all over the world for their perseverance, grit, self-reliance, and courage. We also appreciate Geneva Global Uganda for its efforts to support these and other refugees in many districts across Uganda.
