‘We have nothing, but education is riches’

We know Walk My Way raises money to support refugee children to go to school in East Africa, and that each $26 of support helps to provide a teacher, textbooks and school desks for one child for a year. Deng (pictured), a Year 7 teacher in Kakuma Refugee Camp, explains how the education Walk My Way supports changes lives …

I arrived in Kakuma in the early 2000s from South Sudan with both of my younger brothers, who were very young when we arrived. We lost everyone in the family whilst travelling to Kakuma. I am the head of our household. I never had any formal education and neither had my brothers.

Here at Kakuma, I had a chance to go to school. I went right through to Year 8. I was able to go to school here, at Shabelle in the camp, where I am now teaching! And now I am teaching my brothers as I work here in this same school in Kakuma!

One of my challenges is riding my bike here each day on a dusty, bumpy, difficult road to get to the school. It takes me over half an hour to get here. If I am walking it takes over an hour.

My brothers and I have nothing, yet education is so rich, and no-one can ever take that from us or anyone in the camp. I feel very privileged to teach. No-one can ever take an education away from a child. All possessions can be taken away, but not what’s in your head.

We are so grateful for all the support we receive.