As iron sharpens iron, difficult situations shape people. My challenging life journey has strengthened my identity. The debilitating experiences I faced taught me patience, endurance, determination, and the courage to keep pushing forward. Despite the painful scars of the past, I continue to hope for a better life, because my future is neither lost nor crushed.

As a young girl, I am committed to transforming the health status of the refugee community through the knowledge I will gain from my studies. This dream can only be achieved through education—the only transformative tool that fuels my vision. I am passionate about becoming a pharmacist in the future, and I believe the refugee society will greatly benefit from my skills and dedication as I work to improve their wellbeing.

I, Nyankir Chol Deng, was born on 10th April 2004 in a small village called Panyagor, located in Twic East County of Jonglei State, South Sudan. As the firstborn, I have five siblings who follow after me. I lived with my mother, Amony Deng, and grandmother in Panyagor, along with other extended family members who supported us during difficult times. Life was still challenging. The small farm my father, Chol Deng, owned was our only source of income. He planted maize and sorghum, but the crops were severely affected by the drought that struck our county, making life unbearable.

During this period, people also lived in fear due to ongoing political conflict. In April 2005, when I was just a year old and shortly after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, our village, Panyagor, was attacked by Murle cattle raiders. Homes were burned, livestock was stolen, and many children, women, and youths were killed, injured, or displaced. For our safety, my father relocated us to Nimule.

On 24th July 2007, my aunt, Deborah Aguil Deng, took me from my parents and brought me to Kenya under the care of her husband. I entered Kenya through the Malaba border on 26th July 2007. My aunt enrolled me in Border Farm Public School in 2008, where I began my nursery education.

Life became difficult again in 2008 due to the post-election violence in Kenya. We lived in Eldoret, one of the hotspots of the conflict. I vividly remember my aunt locking us inside the house the whole day because of the insecurity in Kapsoya. By the grace of God, we survived that season.

In 2014, when I was in Class Four, my father transferred me to Sunshine Primary School, a private institution, using the little income he earned working as a truck driving instructor. However, due to the rapid inflation of the South Sudanese currency, his earnings soon became insufficient to support my education, and in 2017, I almost dropped out of school.

Thankfully, the Head Teacher of Sunshine Primary School stepped in and sponsored my education until I sat for my KCPE in 2018, scoring 365 marks. I was then admitted to Dry’s Girls High School, but my father could not afford the fees. With challenges piling up, my aunt moved us to the Kakuma Refugee Camp, where we registered with UNHCR on 26th April 2019. This was a difficult transition, as my only option seemed to be joining a refugee secondary school.

Fortunately, through the support of my uncle, Daniel Yong, I was able to pursue my secondary education at Uasin Gishu High School, a mixed day school in Eldoret, where I studied until I completed my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).