Am Nabak – Noura el Houda is a young mother who fled Sudan as a child and became a refugee. She now lives in the Am Nabak camp in Chad, where she attends a school run by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). She has 16 brothers and sisters, and her family’s finances are strained. Their lack of means is a major obstacle for her and her sisters’ education. Noura has considered getting married so she would be less of a burden to her family and could support the education of her siblings.

Noura recently became pregnant. As a single mother, she was stigmatized by her community and her own family, who wanted to prevent her from going to school, to avoid public shame.

At Noura’s request, JRS spoke with her family to communicate the importance of education, and the difference it could make for her and her child’s future. Noura wants to continue her studies and to attend university one day. She works hard to care for her baby and maintains good academic marks.

“I hope my [perseverance] can help my family keep their heads up.” Noura decided not to accept her situation, and she continues to go to school, despite being a young mother. She wants to be an example of courage and wants to make her family proud. JRS works to make school a place where education is a source for pride and protection for girls and recognized as a weapon to fight against vulnerability and inequality.