Achol, South Sudan, enrolled in 2021
Achol, now 19, joined Mercy Beyond Borders’ High School scholarship program at 16. Living in a refugee settlement in Uganda with her mother and younger siblings, Achol's family relies on her to help make ends meet. Despite these challenges, Achol's passion for learning shines through. She excels in chemistry, physics, geography, maths, and IT, dreaming of one day studying Medicine or Computer Engineering at university.
Achol's journey has been filled with heart-wrenching hardship. When she was young, her sister tragically died from a snake bite, leaving an irreplaceable void in her life. A year after the civil war erupted in South Sudan, Achol and her family were forced to flee to Uganda, seeking safety and a new start. In 2019, their resilience was further tested when locusts ravaged their crops, pushing them into deeper uncertainty.
In their dimly lit home, Achol and her siblings study by the light of an MBB solar lamp, struggling to keep it charged during the rainy season. The settlement's lack of access to technology and electricity is a constant reminder of the opportunities they miss. Families rely on traditional methods like cookfires, and Achol longs for the technological revolution others take for granted.
Despite these obstacles, Achol's spirit remains unbroken. Her family grows sweet potatoes and yams, but the frequent flooding limits their ability to cultivate year-round crops. Achol envisions introducing rice farming to make the most of the water and improve their diet. She treasures the tomatoes she gets at school on weekends, a rare treat she can't afford at home.
Achol's determination transcends her physical challenges. Missing a lower arm, she has developed remarkable confidence, public speaking, and critical thinking skills through MBB leadership workshops. Her drive has propelled her to excel in the school debate club, earning accolades and a mentor training opportunity with a UN agency. Passionate about environmental safety, Achol is committed to recycling waste into valuable products, promoting both income generation and environmental preservation.
Her achievement as the best individual debater in the Gulu District out of thousands of students highlights her incredible potential. She continues to inspire her community, recently leading workshops for younger refugee girls about their rights and safety.
Her journey is a poignant reminder of the transformative power of education and the unwavering spirit of a young woman determined to change her world.
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