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Growing up, life wasn’t easy for Ngachul. She was raised in Kakuma refugee camp by her mother, who did everything on her own to keep the family going. They didn’t have much, they relied on UN aid for basic things, and even schools came through organizations that stepped in because the camp itself couldn’t provide it. Classes were packed, books were hard to come by, and there was no one really there to guide her through it or help pay for it. It was just her, trying to figure it out one day at a time.
After she finished form four, everything just stopped. She couldn’t afford to continue, and there was no clear way forward. That went on for two years. Two years of watching her education, the thing she cared about most, sat still while everyone else’s life moved on. She won’t pretend that wasn’t hard. There were times she wondered if she’d ever get back into a classroom.
But she never fully let go of what she wanted. She still hoped she’d get to college one day, still imagined having a real career, still thought about what it would mean for her family if she could actually finish school. She didn’t know how it would happen. She just knew she wasn’t ready to give up on it.
Then came the news about the PASS USA scholarship. It’s hard for her to fully explain what that felt like, happiness doesn’t even cover it. Relief, mostly. After two years of nothing moving, someone was finally opening a door for her. It felt unreal for a while.
Since then, things have actually changed for her. She’s back in school, working toward something again, and she feels more confident than she has in years. She’s learned things, not just from classes, but from meeting people from different backgrounds, having to think more critically, and communicate better. She notices it in small ways, like how she carries herself now compared to before.
Right now, Ngachul is a first-year student working on her Diploma in Law. It still feels a little surreal to her, considering where she was two years ago, not knowing if she’d ever finish school at all. She wants to complete it, build a real career, and get to a place where she can support her family the way they supported her when she had nothing. And if her story helps even one other young person going through what she went through, that would mean a lot to her.
She’s not done yet. But she’s already learned that things can change, even after years of waiting for them to.
Uyo Agnes Martins is a student at the Catholic University of South Sudan, where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Peace and Justice.
She shared that conflict has had a significant impact on her education. In areas affected by war, schools are often forced to close when violence erupts, making it difficult for students to access learning. As a result, many young people experience interruptions in their education and uncertainty about their future.
She explained that her decision to study Peace and Justice was influenced by what she has observed in South Sudan and around the world. She noted that conflict remains a persistent challenge affecting communities, even though there are various approaches that could be taken to reduce and prevent it. However, she observed that these measures are not always effectively implemented.
This realization inspired her to pursue this field of study with the hope of becoming part of the solution. She aspires to contribute to peacebuilding efforts in South Sudan and to play a role in preventing the escalation of conflict in the future.
She emphasized that education has given her hope, direction, and purpose, and she remains committed to using her learning to contribute to a more peaceful and stable society.
Flora’s journey has not been an easy one. Before joining PASS, she faced serious financial challenges that nearly forced her to abandon her education. There were many moments when continuing school felt impossible. Paying tuition was a constant struggle, and balancing her personal difficulties with academic demands became overwhelming.
At a time when she felt uncertain about her future, PASS stepped in and changed the direction of her story. Through their support, Flora was able to remain in school without the heavy burden of financial stress. Her full tuition for the semester was covered, and she also received 350 dollars to support her accommodation, feeding, and essential academic materials, including her uniforms. This assistance gave her stability and renewed hope.
Since becoming a beneficiary of PASS USA’s Scholarship Program, Flora’s life has taken a positive turn. Her academic performance has improved, her confidence has grown, and she is gradually developing skills that are shaping her personal and professional growth. More importantly, she now carries a stronger sense of hope and direction for her future.
Flora remains deeply grateful to FARS and to all the donors whose generosity made this possible. Their support has not only kept her in school but has also helped rebuild her confidence and ambition. She now holds firmly to her dream of becoming a nutritionist and believes that with continued support, this dream will become a reality.
Her story is one of resilience, transformation, and hope.
For Basmat, a PASS USA scholar at Victoria University in Kampala Uganda, education has never been just about earning a degree. It is a lifeline for her entire family.
As the daughter of an aged parent, Basmat carries a heavy responsibility. She is the primary caregiver and provider for her younger siblings, making sure they are fed, supported, and protected. Growing up through hardship, displacement, and instability in South Sudan shaped her understanding of life early. She made a quiet promise to herself that her siblings would not go through the same struggles she faced.
When PASS USA awarded her the scholarship to study at Victoria University, Basmat was overwhelmed with emotion. She cried not only out of joy but out of relief because for the first time she could see a real path toward changing her family’s future.
Today, Basmat is a committed university student in Kampala. She balances her academic work with the daily responsibility of caring for her siblings from a distance. Every lecture she attends and every assignment she completes carries meaning beyond the classroom.
Her dream is simple and powerful. She wants to become an agent of change and build a stable life where her siblings can grow up in safety, dignity, and opportunity.
But her journey is not without challenges. Like many PASS USA scholars, her education is at risk because of funding gaps that threaten her ability to stay in school. For Basmat, this is not just about school fees. It is about the future of the family she is working so hard to protect.
Basmat’s story is a reminder that education is more than personal achievement. For her, it is the bridge she is building with her own strength, leading her siblings from survival to hope and from hardship to a better future.
After completing her Senior High, she was encouraged by her parents to get married, but she chose a different path, expressing her desire to continue her education. Coming from a very poor background, her family made it clear that they could not support her decision to pursue further studies and that remaining at home would not be an option if she refused marriage.
With limited choices, she left South Sudan and first moved to the Khartoum refugee camp, before later relocating to the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement in Yumbe, Uganda. While there, she learned about the PASS USA scholarship program, applied, and was successfully selected.
She is currently pursuing a degree in International Diplomacy Management at Nkumba University in Uganda. Her goal is to complete her studies and return home to South Sudan, not only as a graduate, but as a testimony of resilience and determination to show her family what she was able to achieve.
At just 13 years old, Arezet’s future was almost decided for her.
Growing up in a family facing severe financial hardship, she was nearly married off when her father sought a dowry to help support the household. Refusing to let her dreams end there, Arezet fled to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya in search of safety and the chance to continue her education.
Despite the challenges of displacement, her mother remained determined to keep her daughter in school. She carried the burden of paying for Arezet’s education for as long as she could, making countless sacrifices so her daughter could keep learning. But eventually, the financial strain became too great.
After Arezet completed secondary school in 2022, there was no money for her to continue to university. By the time she was 16, the pressure returned. Her father once again tried to arrange her marriage, believing that a dowry would help the family survive and that educating a girl was no longer worth pursuing.
For Arezet, it felt as though the dream she had fought so hard to protect had finally come to an end.
Then, in 2024, everything changed.
PASS USA awarded Arezet a scholarship, removing the financial barrier that had kept her from higher education. The scholarship not only enabled her to enroll in university but also gave her something even more valuable: the freedom to choose her own future.
Today, at 21 years old, Arezet is a third year medical student at the University of Juba in South Sudan. The young girl who was once at risk of child marriage is now preparing to become a doctor, determined to use her education to serve others and inspire other girls to believe that their dreams are possible.
Arezet’s journey is a powerful reminder that when financial barriers are removed, lives are transformed. Through PASS USA’s scholarships, young women like Arezet are not only returning to school, but they are also reclaiming their futures and becoming the leaders their communities need.