“I know things are not going well, but because you people, you came to me, I can pray that you may help me.” — Jagel Kong
Summary
Jagel, a 14-year-old refugee in Uganda, longs for school days, where friendships and meals provided by Feed The Hungry make life bearable.
After fleeing war-torn South Sudan, he lives with neighbours, struggling with food and tuition fees.
School offers him solace, friendship, and sustenance. Although his dreams remain undefined, Jagel is committed to education and helping others.
He cherishes the school meals that allow him to learn and connect with friends, believing it’s a crucial step towards creating a brighter future despite harsh conditions.
Jagel’s story
Jagel hates the school holidays.
When school is out, he finds himself drifting along the streets, hoping to see a friend. Hoping that he will find something to eat.
School is much better. School is where his friends are, giggling with him in class and laughing in the playground. And school is where the food is… thanks to generous friends like you.
Separated from his parents by war in South Sudan, he was brought to Uganda by his neighbours. Now 14, he lives with his neighbours but is largely left to his own devices. He says:
“It’s not easy for me to get my money for school fees. It’s a problem. And when my neighbours cannot give me food, I can only survive on the food at school… that’s why I’m surviving.”
Faced with such hardships, it makes sense that he would rather be at school, surrounded by friends, than hungry and alone.
Through Feed The Hungry, he can eat a hot, nutritious meal with his friends in his lunch break. Without that support, he says many days he would eat nothing at all and studying would become even more difficult.
“If I was hungry in class, there’s nothing I can do. I can only revise and read my books. That’s the only thing that I can [spend my time on] because I know education is everything.”
This boy with the shy smile has already suffered much in his young life but he is determined to press on. He says he doesn’t really have a dream for his future, only that he wants to help other people: “When I finish my study, when I get work, I’ll be… helping others. Life is too hard to me… Yes, it is hard. It is hard, but I can just try.”
Yet his face lights up when he is surrounded by friends in the school yard, and eating a meal with the people he loves best.
“When the time for lunch comes, they can give me a plate and I can eat with them and laugh together with them, and I can be happy. Yes!”