Manal a Sudanese refugee in her mid-thirties, fled Sudan from the bule Nile states in the 2012. Running away from the civil war, she is a mother to 10 children, out of which eight are girls.

She was married when she is 14 years old, forced to quit school for marriage. Manal now leaves in a Gendarussa refugee Camps in Maban – South Sudan bordering Sudan and Ethiopia.

It was at midnight when the war stared. Manal woke up when her husband was talking on the phone: it was a call from Manal’s brother in law. Manal asked her husband what’s going on.

I asked my husband and he told me there was a problem, that I should wake up the children and we should not sleep. I remember hiding them under the bed, and I went to check on my father, who asked me to take the children’s and run. I escaped that day with nothing except the clothes we were wearing. We spend  the night in a valley close to the neighborhood and in the morning we stared following where the people was going.

I remember we had nothing except some little sorghum [some kind of oils], given to me by my father. I was caring my last born who was one year and six months old. I remember my brother  tried to go back and get for us some clothes and food that we left behind at home, but he came back very quick before he even reached the house… there was no way for him to rich home because of the shootings, and all the roads are cut off and there is so much looting and killing.

After nine days in the bush without food, water or medicine they made it to Aldamma, a city in Sudan’s border, where they stayed for one year. After that they moved to the refugee camp in Maban South Sudan at the border with Sudan and Ethiopia.

Manal stared a new life in Maban after a long journey fleeing the war from Sudan to South Sudan. She became a teacher in a primary school at Gendarussa Refugee Camp, where she teaches Nassary at Mama Al-nammuzajia primary school. Manal joined our Preservice teacher training program, running for four years to be awarded a certificate in education from the University of Juba. Becoming a teacher and studying was not easy for a mother and a working woman  in a refugee camp, but for Manal education is everything.

When Manal was 14 years old, her father forced her to drop out from school to be married.

Manal is just one child of hundreds of young under grills, who are forced to be married against their will.

In the interview we asked Manal what is her massage to young women and girls in the refugee camps, who are facing challenge that she experiences.

To all the girls, I would tell them: don’t accept marriage at a young age. I want them to study and reach secondary school. And then, if they want to get married, they should be eighteen, twenty or twenty-four, and if she wants to study, if there is an opportunity, they should continue and add the knowledge
–Manal

It’s an inspiring word to inform refugee girls and women about the important of education.

As JRS, we countinue to support and provide a Teacher Training Program in Batial, Doro, Gendarussa and Kaya refugee Camps, at Arrupe Learning Center.

160 (121M, 39F) trainees sat for the country 2 examinations at the University of Juba. All trainees  including Manal managed to pass the exams. Manal now is a professional Techer with a certificate, she is now involved with teaching in the refugee camps.

We want to celebrate the resilience the dream and achievements of refugees who contained to grow and dream with hope away from their home, and our commandment in Serving and Advocating for the refugees And accompanying them through the journey and give with hope.

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