STORY: UN-backed school lights path of hope for vulnerable refugee girls in Kenya
SHOOTING TIME: June 18, 2024
DATELINE: June 20, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:45
LOCATION: TURKANA, Kenya
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of women refugee in Kakuma Refugee Camp
2. various of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls Secondary School
3. various of girls in class
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IRAGI AKILIMALI, Refugee from DRC
3. various of the principal
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOSEPHINE NGUTA, Principal of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls Secondary School

STORYLINE:

For Iragi Akilimali, living in one of the largest refugee camps in Kenya has not diminished her dreams of becoming a doctor, a feat many of her peers would consider difficult.

The 18-year-old student of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls Secondary School fled war in her native Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with her family in 2016 in search of a brighter future in Kenya and ended up at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya's northwestern county of Turkana.
   
The sprawling refugee camp, which is located about 750 km northwest of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is the country's second-largest, hosting about 288,000 refugees from nine countries, including South Sudan, Ethiopia, Burundi and the DRC.
   
Akilimali said her pursuit of academic excellence is driven by the fact that she currently lives with her father, who is unemployed, while her mother is a tailor at the refugee camp.
   
She said during an interview with Xinhua at the refugee camp Tuesday that her quest to become a doctor is irresistible despite the odds against her. "I feel very fortunate that I am a student in a school that offers quality education and other amenities despite being a refugee," Akilimali said.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IRAGI AKILIMALI, Refugee from DRC
"I am aspiring to be a doctor. So if I get a good grade, I will become a doctor. Obviously, my family life and mine too will change because I will be able to earn a living and change my life."

Josephine Nguta, principal of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls Secondary School, said her institution, which hosts refugees from nine countries and Kenyan learners, has emerged as a beacon of hope for vulnerable girls.
   
The boarding school, which was established in 2014, also acts as a safe space for refugee girls who have encountered any form of gender-based violence.
   
Currently, all the 376 girls enrolled in school are on full scholarship.
   
Nguta said the school graduates at least 70 girls annually who are empowered both academically and talent-wise so that they can transform their lives as well as those of their families.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOSEPHINE NGUTA, Principal of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls Secondary School
"Our intention is to be able to get education quality and access to education for more girls, especially the vulnerable girls from the refugee camp. So our plan and our wish is that we are able to expand to get more population of learners in this school."

Nanduri Sateesh, head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR-Kenya) sub-office in Kakuma, said each refugee child deserves access to basic education and life-long learning to secure a better future.
   
Sateesh disclosed that there are a number of programs by the UNHCR that are designed to enhance access to education for both refugees and host communities.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Turkana, Kenya.
(XHTV)