Julius is the last-born child in a family of seven. He completed his primary level education in 2017 and could not proceed to secondary school since his parents could not afford school fees. ÊHis parents are casual laborers and due to their old age, the burden of taking care of the large family has overwhelmed them. Julius is determined to achieve his dreams. He loves math and is looking forward to be an accountant in the future. He believes that education is the only key for a prosperous future.

Bushra is from Burao, the second-largest city in Somaliland, located in the Eastern region of the country, where she lives with her father and siblings. She had to leave school in 2014 because her family was unable to pay the tuition, but was given a scholarship and returned in 2015. Despite this gap, Bushra has excelled in English, and writes and speaks at a nearly native level, despite only a few years of instruction in English.

Mohamoud is a grade 9 student in the 2016 school year. He has five sisters and three brothers. What he enjoys most about his school is that everyone respects each other. Mohamoud values respect and is glad that he is at a school where respect is an important part of the community. Learning to speak English has been Mohamoud’s proudest accomplishment so far. In the future, Mohamoud hopes to be a chemist and to be able to help develop his country.