Former Refugee Mary Maker Helps Camp Students Access Global Universities
Kakuma, 15 July 2026
Co-founded by former refugee Mary Maker, organisation Elimisha Kakuma has secured over $20 million in global university scholarships, helping nearly 60 camp students access higher education.
From Kakuma to the World Stage
Mary Maker’s journey began in the shadow of conflict. Born in Chukudum, South Sudan, during the Second Sudanese Civil War, she was named Nyiriak—a name translating directly to “war” [1]. After a perilous journey that involved months of walking and fleeing military zones to reach the Kenyan border, her family settled in the Kakuma Refugee Camp when she was just four or five years old [1]. Growing up in Kakuma, which today hosts approximately 300,000 refugees from over 10 countries, Maker experienced firsthand the severe limitations of camp education [1]. In her early years at Turkwel Nursery School, she studied in classrooms of up to 200 students, where a single textbook had to be shared among the entire class [1].
Translating the Camp Context
Maker’s belief in education eventually paved her own path out of the camp. In 2017, she spoke at the historic TEDxKakumaCamp—the first-ever TEDx event held inside a refugee camp—which became a catalyst for her academic journey [1]. She secured admission and scholarships to top American institutions, ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College in Minnesota on 28 May 2023 [1]. It was during her time at university that Maker co-founded “Elimisha Kakuma” (Educate Kakuma) in approximately 2020 to help other high school graduates in the camp navigate the complex international university application system [1].
Empowering the Next Generation
The initiative is particularly crucial given the systemic barriers facing young women in refugee camps. While teaching in Kakuma, Maker observed that high school classes of up to 120 students often contained fewer than 10 girls due to early motherhood and a lack of childcare facilities [1]. By providing targeted mentorship and academic pathways, Elimisha Kakuma seeks to dismantle these obstacles, offering young scholars a chance at self-actualisation [1]. “Education is the key,” Maker previously asserted [1]. “It’s the only thing that is going to make the child of a farmer become the president of a nation.” [1]