Having recently completed his high school education with Gua Africa’s support Matthew Dak is now looking to study a Diploma in Pharmacy at college in Nairobi. This is his story:

"I was born in Leer in Southern Sudan. Arabs attacked my village in 1997 when I was 8 years old and I fled by myself to a nearby region. As we were running away from the attackers, I got separated from my family. Eventually I made it to an area called Rumbek; where I stayed, with a group of boys around my age, for several years. Eventually I made it to Uganda, where, unbelievably, I met my brother. I was so happy to see someone from my family after years on my own. In Uganda we received our refugee cards, and were told by the UNHCR workers to go east to Kenya.

We made it to the Kakuma refugee camp where I remained for 6 years. Life was very hard in the camp with starvation and lack of security a very big worry for us small boys all of the time. I did not know whether my mother or father had survived back in Sudan, it was only when I became sponsored by Gua Africa and the Director travelled to Leer, met my parents and then informed me that they were alive that I knew for sure. I was so happy that day. I have since been back to Leer to visit my parents to show them that I am ok and studying hard."