John's story

John lost his father when he was 3 years old. He is living in Ngara, Tanzania. He is 14 years old now. It has not been easy for him to go to school, because, as the oldest son, he had to help his family survive and go to work. But still he says, “I am one of the lucky children in our village because my uncle realises the importance of education. So, I can go to school if I promise to finish my work outside of school.”

However, even for the local population, education is expensive: some cannot buy clothes, shoes, uniforms or books. The local population receives little support, therefore it is critical for the RET to design and implement solutions which can also benefit the local population in the host community of refugees. John adds, “thanks to the Foundation for the Refugee Education Trust, I can go to the DESC, where I can find books from our curriculum, and documentation material, and look up information. I can also sit down quietly and study alone or with my classmates. What I also really love is that the DESC organises sports competitions. Then, I forget everything else!”