Refugee

PHOTO: A portrait of
Patience. Below; Patience
poses with a friend
learning faster and enjoyable.
Patience’s mother, Martha 30, joins us from the market and
welcomes us to her house. She describes life taking care
of Patience as challenging especially when she was still
a toddler. However, she admits that she is proud of the
daughter.
“I was the reading champion back in Uganda,” says
Patience with a proud look on her face. “Nobody, not even
the male students could challenge me in reading and I
wish we could have such competitions here in the camp,”
she adds.
Patience’s main challenge is staying at home while other
people are in school, because of her condition. She knows
the importance of education and has developed a thirst for
knowledge. She is lucky that her schoolmates understand
and appreciates her. Patience is grateful to the teachers
who have supported her and treated her like other kids.
“I feel safe at school and I am always looking forward to
another day at school,” she adds.
Patience’s feet are in pain and she is finding it hard to walk,
but this does not keep her from dreaming of a better future
after completing education. “Disability is all in the mind,
you may be physically disabled but strong in the mind and
that’s what you need to succeed,” says Patience.
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The Refugee Magazine Issue # 7