Finding Freedom Through Education

Abstract

<p>You're 12 years old. You live in a mud hut with a tin roof in a desert. You eat one bowl of grain a day and you live among 70,000 refugees in a place known as "nowhere." These are recent memories for Maurice Aduto. It's also what drives him to seek opportunities and make a difference in his homeland of South Sudan, a country that gained independence in 2011 after a 22-year civil war. When Aduto was a young child herding cattle with his uncles, brothers and cousins the problems of Sudan's war seemed far away. His family lived in Chukudum, a village near the Uganda border in east Africa. The village was known for its fertile land and abundant harvests. Aduto has fond memories of the tranquil valley where he played. He also remember his British-trained elementary school teachers, who taught him the importance of education.</p>