Packed with Promise: Wisam's Journey
With funding from Education Cannot Wait, UNICEF distributes urgently needed school supplies to help displaced children in Sudan get back to learning.
PORT SUDAN, Sudan, Dec. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wisam sits in her classroom, absorbed in her work. Her fingers grip a blue colored pencil as she carefully sketches a flower in her notebook, undistracted by the bustle of classmates packing up. When she's finished, she puts her beloved pencils back into her bag.
The supplies in her new backpack are a constant reminder of the hope she carries, even in the face of extreme hardship.
At just nine years old, Wisam has already experienced more hardship than many will in a lifetime. Forced to flee her home in Sinnar when the armed conflict reached them, Wisam and her family sought safety in Port Sudan. "I left my toys, books, uniform, bag and pencils. My school uniform was beautiful," says Wisam.
When schools finally reopened in Port Sudan, Wisam's family could not afford the necessary school supplies. Thanks to UNICEF, with funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), Wisam has received essential school supplies and even a new school uniform. This initiative is part of ECW's holistic response in Sudan and neighboring countries, which is supporting the establishment of children's safe spaces and temporary learning centres, teacher training, the provision of learning materials, mental health and psychosocial support, and more.
When Wisam and her siblings enrolled in their new school in Port Sudan, their excitement to learn again was tempered by their lack of necessary school supplies. The challenges of displacement meant that they didn't have the means to purchase everything that would be needed to thrive in the classroom.
Wisam's school is one of many in Sudan that is receiving vital school supplies thanks to ECW funding. Through this initiative – which aims to ensure that all children have the tools they need to return to learning – Wisam and her siblings received new uniforms and backpacks filled with notebooks, erasers, colored pencils, chalk, rulers and more. "I love my new bag," she says.
To Wisam, her new backpack contains more than just her school supplies; it carries her dreams for a brighter, more peaceful future in her homeland that allows her to learn, grow and reach her full potential.
Today, Wisam is in Grade 3. She participates in class discussions and raises her hand confidently to answer questions. After the school day ends, Wisam lingers in the classroom, absorbed in her drawings. The colorful flowers, sketched with so much care, are a testament to her creativity and determination to find beauty even in difficult circumstances.
Hundreds of school buildings have been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war in Sudan in April 2023. Many others are being used as shelters.
In times of crisis, education is critical – not just for academic learning, but also for providing a sense of normalcy, stability and safety. It protects children from harmful practices such as child marriage, child labor and forced recruitment into armed groups, giving them the chance to pursue their dreams and build a better future. Wisam is just one of the millions of children that have been displaced by the brutal conflict. The country is facing the world's largest child displacement crisis, with an estimated 13 million school-aged children currently out of school.
"Home is better than here. But we can't go back because of the war. The war is very bad," says the 9-year-old. Still, Wisam remains hopeful. With the support she has received, she now feels that education is her way forward.
ECW and partners like UNICEF continue to support girls and boys in the whole of Sudan to ensure that, even in the most challenging circumstances, displaced children can continue their education. ECW investments in the country support the building and rehabilitation of classrooms, provision of learning and teaching materials, teacher training, improvement of access to drinking water, gender-sensitive water and sanitation facilities, and improvement of access to quality, inclusive and child-friendly education. ECW and partners are also responding to the regional refugee education needs, with grants announced in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda.
Wisam's story is a reminder of the resilience and strength of children, and the transformative power of education. Her backpack, once a reminder of everything she was forced to leave behind, now carries the weight of all she hopes to achieve. With each lesson, she's stepping closer to the future she deserves.
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