NAIROBI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- At the age of six, Ameer Deng fled conflict-ridden South Sudan for neighboring Kenya, uncertain about what the future held.
Growing up in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County in northern Kenya, Deng developed a stronger determination to pursue formal education, believing it could change the course of her life.
"I had a thirst for education. When I finished school, I kept looking for opportunities. I took computer classes at Kakuma Refugee Camp and looked for ways to continue learning," Deng told Xinhua.
Deng is now enrolled in HER Lab, a post-secondary bridging program for rural and marginalized women. Supported by the Global Give Back Circle (GGBC), an international non-profit organization, the program empowers underserved young women through education, skills training and mentorship.
"When I heard about HER Lab, I applied immediately because I saw it as a chance to gain practical skills and build a future," Deng said, vowing to encourage other refugee girls to pursue lifelong learning and turn a new page in their lives.
Through partnerships with local communities and international institutions, GGBC equips young refugee women with the skills and support needed to pursue employment and entrepreneurship. Since 2006, the organization has helped them move into dignified and fulfilling careers through digital literacy, life skills, workforce readiness and in-person mentorship.
GGBC Chief of Programs Mwende Munuve said HER Lab participants are not passive recipients of aid but gifted students, future professionals, entrepreneurs and changemakers.
"By giving them access to skills, mentorship and pathways to dignified work, we are tapping into their resilience and courage, ensuring that displacement does not limit their ability to shape their own futures and contribute meaningfully to society," Munuve said.
Mashaki Stan, a 19-year-old Congolese refugee and fellow HER Lab participant, still bears the emotional scars of being separated from her parents at a young age when conflict engulfed her homeland.
Having found refuge in Kenya, Stan has refused to let her past define her. Instead, she is building a new future through higher education and lifelong learning.
"I wanted to study, get skills and build a future for myself. I wanted to work and become independent, and now I have the opportunity to do that at HER Lab," Stan said.
Monica Abul, a South Sudanese refugee participating in HER Lab's fashion design program, said she is no longer bound by her past and has embarked on a new path of acquiring practical skills, rebuilding her confidence and contributing positively to her community.
"I want other girls in the refugee camp to know that displacement does not have to decide the rest of their lives," Abul said.
Hellen Githakwa, head of impact and youth voice at GGBC, said one of the primary goals of HER Lab is to promote the inclusion of young refugee women and women with disabilities, ensuring they are not left behind in skills development and economic opportunities.
"When they learn alongside their peers, gain market-relevant training and receive the support to pursue employment or entrepreneurship, they are not only changing their own lives; they are strengthening families, communities and the wider economy," Githakwa said. ■
