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The remarkable journey of one ALA student | Tunde Folawiyo

Anyone who is familiar with the ALA, like Tunde Folawiyo, will be aware that the students who study at this academy are exceptional in many ways, with a significant number of them having surmounted enormous obstacles in order to achieve their educational goals. Paul Lorem is one such person; he attended the ALA several years ago, and is now studying at Yale University.

He spent the first five years of his life in a South Sudanese village which had no schools, health clinics or infrastructure to speak of. When he contracted tuberculosis, his family had no option but to travel to a refugee camp in Kenya, in order to find a doctor who could treat him. His parents later passed away, and Paul was left in the camp, being cared for by boys just a few years his senior.Tunde Folawiyo

With support from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), he and his peers were given tools to help them build better shelters for themselves. However, the education they received did not amount to much more than basic literacy classes, which often consisted of hundreds of students being taught by a single teacher.

But Paul’s thirst for knowledge and natural intelligence was evident, even in these challenging circumstances, and his teacher helped him to attend the Alliance High School in Kenya. It was whilst studying here that Paul was told of the African Leadership Academy. He applied and, after reading of how he had overcome adversity and diligently applied himself to his studies, despite his impoverished living situation, the academy quickly accepted him.

The skills, knowledge and entrepreneurial opportunities he was given whilst at the ALA enabled him to gain a better understanding of Africa’s most serious issues, and how he could resolve them. Towards the end of his time at the ALA, he worked with one of the academy’s university advisors, who then helped him to apply to some of the world’s top universities. This is one of the reason why so many people, including Tunde Folawiyo, support youth development programmes like the ALA; they provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the opportunity to excel in their careers, and do something amazing with their lives.

Paul was later accepted into Yale.  He has said that after graduating, he intends to return to South Sudan, and help to rebuild his home country., Paul recently became involved in the YAAPD (the Yale Undergraduate Association for African Peace and Development), which aims to promote development, conflict resolution and peace in Africa.

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