Deirdre Hand, one of the co-founders of Elimisha Kakuma, brings a wealth of experience as an educator, mentor, and advocate for refugee students. Her journey to founding Elimisha Kakuma was shaped by years of teaching English to refugees and international students, both in the U.S. and abroad, and a pivotal month spent in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp. There, she witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by refugee students in accessing higher education. Together with her co-founders—Dudi Miabok, Diing Manyang, and Mary Maker, all former students of hers who have since become university graduates—Deirdre has worked tirelessly to create opportunities for students in Kakuma to pursue their academic dreams. In this Q&A, she reflects on the inspiration behind the program, the transformative growth of its students, and her vision for a more inclusive and equitable higher education system.

In this inspiring Q&A, we sit down with Diing Manyang, co-founder of Elimisha Kakuma, to discuss her journey from studying Systems Engineering to founding an organization that’s transforming lives in the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Diing shares how her love for STEM and economics led her to systems engineering, how she applies those skills in her career today, and what motivated her to help create educational opportunities for refugee students. Her story is one of resilience, determination, and the power of education to spark meaningful change.

As 2023 officially comes to an end, the Elimisha Kakuma team is grateful for all the support we have received from all of you.

Check out some of our incredible accomplishments from 2023 below! Give yourself a pat on the back for the great work this year, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you into 2024 and beyond.

In our fourth newsletter, we’re sharing some updates on the second and third cohorts, we’re recapping the Minnesota Friends-raiser, Deirdre’s trip to Kakuma, and much more! Thanks for being a part of the Elimisha Kakuma family! With your support we had an incredible 2021 and 2022, placing 14 students in universities across North America, Europe and Africa.

2023 marked the 9th anniversary of the establishment of the High Level Political Forum, a United Nations conference held annually to discuss and reflect on the UN’s progress towards meeting the standards the organization had set for itself to reach by the year 2030. The HLPF was established at the 2012 Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which evaluated environmental needs and goals of the world and brought nations together to craft a plan for progress. This plan revolves around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, of which there are 17.

In our third newsletter, we’re sharing some notable partnerships, program updates, and that most of our second cohort of students have received their CTDs (Conventional Traveling Documents; like passports for refugees) as well as their visas, meaning they will soon be on their way to their respective Universities!

A day in the life of an Elimisha Kakuma student looks different for each of the students that have passed (and will pass) through the program’s doors. Each day, students share time together attending lessons, lectures, and tutoring sessions from a variety of professors, university students, and prior Elimisha students who have come back to pass along their wisdom and sustain the program.

When the morning of June 20th dawns in Kakuma, the sunrise will bring a bittersweet joy to the nearly 200,000 residents of the camp. The massive community of refugees in northwest Kenya makes up only a small portion of the world’s 30 million refugees, a number that seems only to grow every year. But all 30 million of the world’s refugees, those who can no longer lead lives in their country of origin, can seize June 20th as a day of their own – World Refugee Day.

We are delighted to share that 5 students have received acceptance letters from prestigious universities worldwide. The selected students will be pursuing their academic aspirations at UC Berkeley, University of Prague - Life Sciences, Macalester, and Elmhurst (x2).

We would like to thank our supporters for their contributions to our fundraising campaign, which has made it possible for us to provide our students with the support they need to succeed!

Elimisha Kakuma has partnered with Virginia Tech’s Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies since our founding.

VTCRMDS funds VT interns who tutor Elimisha students, and professors and instructors from VT teach courses and provide writing support to students in their essays. CRMDS also sponsored a team retreat in Blacksburg, Virginia in January 2023, where the four co-founders were able to gather in-person and plan for the coming year.

It was an hour-long session that left an indelible impact on everyone. Araba and Nana graced the meeting with their presence, accompanied by Mike, and they were incredibly engaging and generous with their information. The team was warmly welcomed, and Kiza was the emcee while Nyanut and Luka spoke about the Elimisha Kakuma Program.

Higher education has long been seen as a key to success, offering opportunities for career advancement, personal growth, and better wages. However, for refugees who have fled their homes and are seeking to start anew in a foreign land, higher education may seem like an unattainable dream. That’s where non-profit organizations come in, working tirelessly to help provide educational opportunities to refugees across the world.