Her story begins long before she could even write her name. In 2005, just a year after her birth, Kanisa Rebecca Majok Thiak and her family fled South Sudan, forced to leave behind everything familiar. Their destination was Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in Uganda, a place often overlooked, yet one that would come to define the beginnings of an extraordinary journey.

Growing up in the settlement, Kanisa experienced the daily realities faced by many displaced families: scarcity, instability, and the absence of formal opportunity. But she also experienced unwavering love and sacrifice, particularly from her mother, Mary Yar Mabior Pach. Though Mary never received a formal education and could neither read nor write, she became the driving force behind Kanisa’s academic pursuit. Through small but significant acts such as ensuring Kanisa had a pen when food was scarce or a school uniform even when the family went to bed hungry, her mother modeled resilience, purpose, and hope.

Kanisa’s early life was not shaped by privilege, but by a quiet determination and the unyielding support of those who believed in her. In 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to South Sudan to complete high school. There, she met Goch Jacob Thiong, a classmate who would become a key figure in her story. Goch introduced her to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the African Leadership University (ALU) and supported her throughout the application process. His belief in her potential opened the door to a future she had only dreamed of.

Now a third-year Software Engineering student at ALU, specializing in Machine Learning, Kanisa is also a Mastercard Foundation Scholar. But beyond her academic milestones, her university journey has been marked by advocacy, peer leadership, and a deep commitment to giving back.

At ALU, Kanisa serves as the Refugee and Displaced Persons (RDP) Lead. Through this role, she has worked alongside fellow students and in partnership with Solid Minds Counselling Clinic to address the unique mental health challenges faced by displaced learners. From organizing peer support circles and resilience-building workshops to facilitating storytelling sessions and mentorship spaces, she has created environments where refugee students feel seen, heard, and supported.

One of the most impactful initiatives she co-led was a collaborative visit to Nyabiheke Refugee Camp. In partnership with peers from the University of Rwanda and the African Leadership University, Kanisa helped coordinate an immersive day of interactive sessions, skills-sharing activities, and donation distribution. The event aimed to strengthen community ties, encourage solidarity, and inspire refugee youth to reimagine their future.

Kanisa’s story is not just one of personal triumph; it is a reflection of what becomes possible when resilience meets support and when students are given space to rise and give back. In her words and actions, she represents the strength of displaced youth and the power of peer support in healing and transformation.

“I am not just a scholar. I am not just a girl from a refugee camp. I am my mother’s dream made flesh. Being a refugee is a circumstance, not an identity it doesn’t define who you are or limit who you can become. ” Kanisa Rebecca Majok Thiak

As Kanisa continues her academic and leadership journey, she carries with her not just her mother’s dreams but the hopes of an entire community that once lived in the shadows and is now beginning to shine.