{"id":9661,"date":"2019-08-05T13:25:01","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T13:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adra.org\/?post_type=stories&p=9661"},"modified":"2026-03-31T19:44:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T19:44:00","slug":"democratic-republic-of-congo-adra-assists-refugee-who-cannot-receive-a-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adra.org\/de\/democratic-republic-of-congo-adra-assists-refugee-who-cannot-receive-a-education","title":{"rendered":"Demokratische Republik Kongo: ADRA hilft Fl\u00fcchtlingen, die keine Schulbildung erhalten k\u00f6nnen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Venancia wei\u00df nicht, wann die Gewalt begann.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been war ever since I was born,\u201d said the 18-year-old who grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even with unrest around her, she was an eager student who loved to study and play soccer with her friends. By all accounts, Venancia was on her way to a bright future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was during one of those soccer games with friends that a bullet came out of nowhere, not even aimed for her, and hit Venancia in the leg. At the sound of the gunfire, everyone scattered for safety, but Venancia was unable to move.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She remained where she fell, crumpled alone in the middle of the soccer field and holding her shattered leg in agony, for more than seven hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time a family member found Venancia and rushed her to the hospital, there was nothing doctors could do to save her leg\u2013they were forced to amputate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Born into circumstances beyond her control, Venancia had found a safe haven in school, a beautiful world where the outside chaos couldn\u2019t touch her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recovering from the accident kept her away from that safe haven for two years, and she was far behind her former classmates when she was able to enroll in school again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a nightmare,\u201d Venancia remembers. \u201cBut, I was more determined than ever to finish my studies. I know that finishing school means my life will be better. I will be able to find a job and support myself.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eventually, one after the other, she lost all five of her siblings to the violence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom finally decided that if we wanted to live, we would have to leave. We left DRC on foot and walked for over a week,\u201d Venancia says.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Venancia, walking meant hobbling on crutches.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the escape meant that Venancia put her studies on pause\u2014again. Life had to start over completely for the small family and Venancia\u2019s future seemed forever at the mercy of forces outside of her control.<\/span><\/p>\n

When they arrived in Uganda, the refugee mother and daughter were provided food rations, a small plot of land, and a tarp. Venancia\u2019s resourceful mother made the one-month rations stretch over a few months until the small garden they planted on their plot of land started providing produce to eat.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tent they crafted from the tarp became their home for the next few years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Venancia missed yet another year of school as she adjusted to life in a refugee settlement. When she returned to the classroom, once again she was older than everyone else in her class. And now she also faced a language barrier. She spoke French, but her new classes were conducted in English.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mind that I couldn\u2019t understand anything at first,\u201d she says. \u201cI knew that in time I would learn English, too. I would rather struggle with a new language than go back home and risk my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine the strength it requires to keep holding onto your dreams while experiencing the life that Venancia has lived. The young woman has met every setback with grace and grit. This includes the death of her mother, which left Venancia completely alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

School has become more than a safe haven for Venancia\u2013it is now her home as well.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Her classmates are her family. Education is what she has left. It is the key to her survival.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf it weren\u2019t for school, I wouldn\u2019t have anyone. I\u2019d be living in a small house without my mother,\u201d Venancia says. \u201cEducation is important because I can empower myself. I want to be a doctor when I grow up. I want to help refugees and disabled people like me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She is an example of determination as she follows her dreams. And thanks to supporters like you, Venancia is experiencing the influence of positive<\/em> outside forces on her life instead of the chaos, unrest, or violence she is used to!<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
And Venancia is not alone. Millions of young people like her around the world will miss out on education, good health, and bright futures without lifesaving support.<\/div>\n\n\n

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