At 21 years old, Adai Maloch Deng is living a dream she once believed had been taken away from her forever.
Today, she proudly sits in a classroom at Mulmul Alternative Learning Programme (ALP) Primary School, where she is a Level Three learner. For Adai, returning to school is more than an opportunity to continue her education. It is a second chance to rebuild her confidence, reclaim her dreams and create a better future for herself and her child.
But her journey back to the classroom has not been easy.
A Childhood Interrupted
Adai began her education at Rumamer Primary School in 2013. Like many children, she entered school carrying simple but powerful dreams. She believed education would open doors to a better life.
She studied consistently until Primary Six.
Then, in 2022, her life changed dramatically when she lost her elder brother.
Her brother had been a key source of support for her education. Following his death, her family struggled to continue supporting her schooling. With her education interrupted and few opportunities available at home, Adai travelled to Khartoum, Sudan, hoping to find a better future.
“When I lost my brother, I also lost the person who was supporting my education. I had to leave school because there was no one to help me continue.”
Despite the circumstances, Adai did not completely abandon her dream of education.
Trying to Start Again
In 2023, while in Khartoum, Adai made another attempt to return to school. She enrolled in Primary Six at King Solomon Primary School, determined to recover the years she had lost.
For a short time, it seemed that her education was finally back on track.
But another crisis intervened.
The outbreak of conflict in Sudan forced Adai to flee once again, this time travelling to Wau, South Sudan. Once again, displacement disrupted her education.
In Wau, she tried to rebuild her life and enrolled in Primary Seven at St. Raphael.
Then came another life-changing challenge.
Adai became pregnant.
As a young mother, continuing school became increasingly difficult. Caring for her baby became her priority, and she was once again forced to leave the classroom.
“When I became pregnant, I thought my education was finished. My child was still very young and needed me. I stayed at home, and I started to believe that I would never return to school again.”
For Adai, early pregnancy was not only the beginning of motherhood. It also meant the loss of an opportunity she had fought repeatedly to protect.
A New Beginning in Abyei
In March 2026, Adai returned home to Abyei.
She returned carrying the experiences of loss, displacement, interrupted education and early motherhood. Although she had almost given up on her educational aspirations, an unexpected opportunity gave her a reason to hope again.
She learned about the Alternative Learning Programme at Mulmul ALP Primary School, an opportunity designed to provide flexible education for children and young people whose education had been interrupted.
The programme offered her something she desperately needed: a second chance.
Adai enrolled.
“When I heard that I could go back to school, I was very happy. I was also afraid because I was older than many of the other learners. But I told myself that I should try.”
Returning to school was not easy.
Adai had the responsibilities of motherhood. She had been away from formal education for years. She had experienced displacement and personal loss. Yet, day by day, she continued attending classes.
Slowly, the classroom became a place of healing and renewed confidence.
She began reading again. She began participating in lessons. She began expressing herself more confidently.
Most importantly, she began dreaming again.
“I am now able to read well and can express myself unlike before.”
Education Restored, Confidence Rebuilt
For Adai, the impact of the ALP goes far beyond literacy and numeracy.
The classroom has helped her regain confidence and a sense of purpose.
After experiencing repeated interruptions to her education, she now sees herself not as a young woman whose education was lost, but as a learner with a future.
Her experience also reflects the importance of flexible and inclusive education programmes in communities affected by conflict, displacement, poverty and early pregnancy.
Alternative Learning Programmes can provide pathways back into education for learners who are over-age or who have been forced to leave school because of circumstances beyond their control.
For Adai, that pathway has made all the difference.
From Learner to Advocate
Today, Adai does not keep her story to herself.
She speaks to other young women and girls in her community who have dropped out of school because of early pregnancy, displacement, family challenges or other difficult circumstances.
Her message is simple:
“I tell other girls that they should not lose hope. Even if you stopped school before, you can return. It is never too late to learn.”
Adai now advocates for young women and girls who have been excluded from education, encouraging them to take advantage of opportunities to return to learning.
She believes that education can transform not only individual lives, but entire families and communities.
“I want other young women who dropped out of school to return. We need opportunities like this because education gives us confidence and helps us build our future.”
A Heartfelt Thank You to the Republic of Korea
Adai’s journey back to the classroom would not have been possible without the support of partners who believe in the power of education and the potential of vulnerable children and young people.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank the Republic of Korea for standing beside vulnerable children and adults in Abyei. You did not only support a school—you helped give people like me another chance. You helped me believe that my future is still possible.”
A Future Filled with Hope
Adai’s story is a powerful reminder that education should not end because of conflict, displacement, early pregnancy, poverty or other circumstances.
Sometimes, all a learner needs is someone to keep the door open.
For Adai, the door to education has opened again.
She is learning, she is reading, she is finding her voice and she is dreaming again.
Her journey is not yet complete. But today, instead of wondering whether she has a future, Adai is working towards one.
“Before, I thought my education was finished. Now I know that I can continue. I have hope again.”
Adai’s story is one of resilience, second chances and the transformative power of education. Through continued investment in inclusive and alternative education, more children, adolescents and young mothers affected by crisis can be given the opportunity to return to learning and build a brighter future.
Adai Maloch Deng’s journey from interrupted childhood, family loss, displacement and early motherhood to becoming a Level Three learner at Mulmul ALP Primary School is a powerful testimony to the resilience of learners whose education has been disrupted by crisis. Her story demonstrates that dropping out of school does not have to mean the end of a child or young person’s educational journey. With the right support, flexible learning opportunities and an environment that welcomes learners back without discrimination, those who have been left behind can return to education, rebuild their confidence and begin to imagine a future once again.
Adai’s experience also illustrates the critical role of Alternative Learning Programmes in communities affected by conflict, displacement, poverty and other humanitarian challenges. For learners who are over-age, young mothers, returnees, displaced persons or those who have missed several years of schooling, ALP provides a pathway back to learning at a time when conventional education may no longer be accessible or appropriate. For Adai, the programme has provided far more than lessons in literacy and numeracy. It has restored her confidence, strengthened her ability to communicate, given her a renewed sense of purpose and allowed her to become an encouragement to other girls and young women facing similar challenges.
Her transformation is a reminder that behind every learner who returns to school is a story of courage and determination. Adai could have allowed the loss of her brother, repeated displacement, conflict and early pregnancy to define her future. Instead, she chose to try again. Today, she is not only a learner but also an advocate, using her own experience to encourage other girls and young women who have dropped out of school to believe that they, too, can return and continue their education. Her message that “it is never too late to learn” captures the spirit of second-chance education and the hope that ALP seeks to restore among crisis-affected learners.
The impact of this opportunity extends beyond Adai herself. As a young mother who has regained access to education, her progress can influence her child, family and wider community. An educated and confident young woman is better positioned to make informed decisions, participate meaningfully in her community and contribute to the wellbeing and development of her family. Her story therefore demonstrates why investment in girls’ education and inclusive learning opportunities is not simply an investment in individual learners; it is an investment in families, communities and future generations.
Abyei region stakeholders deeply appreciates the invaluable contribution of the Republic of Korea through UNICEF towards creating and strengthening opportunities for vulnerable and crisis-affected learners in Abyei. Such support demonstrates the transformative power of international solidarity and partnership in ensuring that conflict and displacement do not permanently deprive children and young people of their right to education. The contribution of the Republic of Korea has helped create opportunities where learners can return to classrooms, regain their confidence and pursue dreams that once seemed beyond their reach.
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