Mary Maker: Why I fight for the education of refugee girls (like me)

After fleeing war-torn South Sudan as a child, Mary Maker found security and hope in the school at Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. Now a teacher of young refugees herself, she sees education as an essential tool for rebuilding lives — and empowering a generation of girls who are too often denied entrance into the classroom. “For the child of war, an education can turn their tears of loss into a passion for peace,” Maker says.

Running time: 16 minutes

Mary Maker believes in the power of education to build peace and rebuild lives.

A refugee from South Sudan’s civil war, Mary Maker found solace and hope through education. She has lived in Kakuma refugee camp for several years, where she worked as a school teacher to a class of 120 students. She is now student again, attending a scholarship program in Rwanda, putting her on a path to university.