In the heart of Kakuma refugee camp, Nawal, a young Sudanese woman, is helping her fellow young people begin a new chapter in their lives.

Lack of access to opportunities

At just 21, she witnessed the suffering in her community, caused largely by the lack of access to proper healthcare. Confronted daily with this reality, she made the courageous choice to pursue studies in Public Health Management. She therefore enrolled in the JRS Pathfinder programme at the Arrupe Learning Centre.

In Kakuma, Nawal came to understand that part of her calling was to help others. She saw injustice not in the form of laws, but in the lack of access to opportunity.

“Too many young people here believe that success is only for those who know the right people,” she said. “I want to change that.”

Mentoring young students

She began as a volunteer academic tutor, dedicating her time to helping students navigate their studies. But she soon realised there was a deeper need for mentorship. Many young people in the camp were dropping out of school, turning to crime, or simply giving up because they did not know how to access scholarships, jobs, or training programmes.

She created a grassroots mentoring movement to educate, inspire, and guide young refugees. She trained others, organised workshops, and built a team that now reaches schools in the camp and at the county level.

“We started in our own school,” she says. “Now we are reaching the whole community.”

Every week, Nawal devotes part of her time to mentoring students. She teaches them how to apply for opportunities, how to believe in themselves, and how to overcome the challenges of life in the camp.

Building hope

Her work is not measured in certificates, but in the community’s response — in the voices of the young people who now believe they can succeed.

“To my fellow young people in refugee camps: Never give up. Life is hard now, but your dreams still matter. Keep learning, stay kind, and support each other. One day, things will get better. You are stronger than you think.”