Refugees leave with food and other necessities after receiving them at Kakuma refugees camp in Turkana county, Kenya, June 7, 2017. Kakuma camp is located in the north-western region of Kenya. The camp was established in 1992. Kenya has the second largest refugee population in Africa. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
by Christine Lagat
NAIROBI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Nyechuol Ruai Kuol has tragic memories of fleeing turmoil in her native South Sudan at a tender age only to reunite with distant relatives and former neighbors at Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya.
The 24-year-old major in gender studies at a public university in Kenya has overcome huge obstacles to reclaim her once shattered hopes and dreams.
During an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday at an event to mark World Refugee Day, Kuol said tenacity, resilience and sunny optimism has kept her going despite living as a refugee in a foreign land.
"My life as a refugee in Kenya for the last two decades has been tumultuous but I have learnt to persevere since there is always light at the end of a dark tunnel for those who refuse to succumb to life's drudgeries," said Kuol.
At the Kakuma refugee camp that hosts thousands of forced migrants from South Sudan, Kuol found benefactors who facilitated her formal education while nudging her to aim for the stars in spite of her predicament.
Photo taken on June 7, 2017 shows a girl at Kakuma refugees camp in Turkana county, Kenya, June 7, 2017. Kakuma camp is located in the north-western region of Kenya. The camp was established in 1992. Kenya has the second largest refugee population in Africa. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
The eloquent and bubbly young female refugee has vowed to utilize skills acquired in the university to mentor her peers living as refugees in Kenya and neighboring countries.
"As an educated young refugee, am in a better position to advocate peace and harmonious co-existence among different communities in my native country. Likewise, I have a passion for educating the youth to become responsible citizens," Kuol remarked.
Civil strife in South Sudan that keeps on recurring is responsible for shattering the hopes and aspirations of the country's youth who were forced to settle in foreign lands and reclaim their destiny.
Kuol and her youthful peers who found a safe haven in Kenya are determined to make an indelible mark in their adopted country.
She disclosed to Xinhua that young refugees have defied doomsayers to succeed in the world of academia, sports and business in their adopted homelands.
"Some of us have accomplished so much to the consternation of prophets of doom who predicted a life of misery and gloom in our adopted homes. Let me state that refugees are endowed with abundant talents that can be harnessed to advance prosperity in their native and adopted countries," said Kuol.
She is not alone in painting a rosy future for young refugees living in Kenya despite their tragic circumstances.
Abdul Rashid Abdulahi, a 22-year-old Somalia refugee who settled in Kenya at a tender age has pursued formal education with gusto, confident that it will in future open a flood gate of opportunities.
A man and his child leave after receiving food and other necessities at Kakuma refugees camp in Turkana county, Kenya, June 7, 2017. Kakuma camp is located in the north-western region of Kenya. The camp was established in 1992. Kenya has the second largest refugee population in Africa. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
Like millions of Somalia youth, Abdulahi was exposed to the ravages of conflicts and natural disasters during the formative years of growing up yet he still harbors a desire to turn the tables and become an accomplished diplomat.
The suave and friendly youth is currently pursuing an international relations course that would pave way for him to land in the world of diplomacy.
"It has been a treacherous journey living as a young refugee here in Kenya but have gradually reconciled with that reality and will not relent in my pursuit of a brighter tomorrow," Abdulahi remarked.
Hundreds of young refugees from strife torn east and horn of African states attended the national event to mark World Refugee Day in Nairobi.
The youngsters who either grew up in refugee camps located in northern Kenya or sprawling urban settlements share similar world views despite their ethnic and gender divide.
Miskia Ahmed, a 21-year-old female Somalia refugee who has lived in Kenya since her childhood has a burning desire to change a narrative punctuated by despair and hopelessness.
The psychology major aims to become a family therapist and help traumatized young refugees reclaim their lost dreams.
Refugees receive food at Kakuma refugees camp in Turkana county, Kenya, June 7, 2017. Kakuma camp is located in the north-western region of Kenya. The camp was established in 1992. Kenya has the second largest refugee population in Africa. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
"During my stay in Kenya, I have come across young and elderly refugees who are yet to overcome the painful memories of war and dislocation. These refugees require a skilled therapist to help them start afresh," said Miskia.
Kenya has provided a safe haven for young refugees displaced by wars in neighboring countries to break off with a tragic past and open a new chapter in their lives.
Thanks to a long chain of benefactors, these young refugees have been able to study and acquire life-long skills in their new abode.
