A South Sudanese refugee student has excelled in Khartoum state’s Primary leaving examinations scoring the second highest mark. Mervet Hakim Kur, who fled violence from the town of Renk of Upper Nile state in South Sudan in 2014, attained 278 out of the total 280 marks.
The 15-year old Mervet, was announced as the second best during a press conference over the weekend, taking the second position in the Primary leaving examination of Khartoum state this year.
Mervet, who resides in Umbaddah neighborhood of Omdurman town, said she is happy she emerged the second best student in the examinations. She says as a refugee, it was not easy for her to get enrolled in public schools in Sudan. She describes her success as a great achievement despite spending months at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some of us lost hope in the examination. To our surprise, the exam was announced in short noticed and we could not believe to study only for two weeks prior to the exam. So, I was worried.”
More than 125 thousand students sat for the primary examination this year across Khartoum state.
Mervet fled violence in 2014 from Renk town of Upper Nile state, in South Sudan along with her family of 13. She says it was difficult for her to join schools due to language issues since her studies in Renk was in English.
“I could not understand lessons in Arabic. So, my mum decided for me to repeat the same class. She used to teach us at home with Arabic alphabets and I was able to pick up and here we are.” She said.
Mervet, who dreams to become a medical doctor, says she dedicates what she calls “a humble success” to thousands of South Sudanese young girls who don’t have access to education due to the conflict in their country.
45-year old, Teresa Marcello Laku, a step mother of Hakim, says she is very proud to have raised Mervet together with her seven children, and that Mervet’ success is for the whole family and to the entire South Sudanese nation.
“She raised up our heads as family members and the whole of South Sudan. We are honored to hear such news. This is an honor to us as family and to the South Sudan as a country.”
Mervet says “Nothing is impossible. Let them work hard and they will make it.
