Always think you will make it, says graduate who fled civil war

A woman who fled civil war as a child has said she wants to use her degree to help "other refugees and vulnerable communities".

Makagbeh Princess Sesay left Liberia in 1990 and spent 10 years in refugee camps volunteering with humanitarian organisations before resettling in Europe in 2003.

The now 52-year-old said graduating with a BSc in public health from the University of Manchester on Monday had been a "dream" come true.

She said growing up as a refugee showed her the importance of "healthcare, education, sanitation and nutrition" and her studies had strengthened her "desire to support vulnerable communities and work towards reducing health inequalities".

Sesay crossed into neighbouring Guinea from Liberia in a truck with her family as they fled the conflict in December 1990.

Her father died in Liberia shortly after the conflict began and her mother later died in the Guinean border town of Koyama.

Sesay grew up as an orphan alongside thousands of displaced Liberians in the towns of Macenta, Guéckédou and Kissidougou.

She said her experiences had been "frightening" and "dangerous".

"People were left with no good food, no security, and there was no infection control, no safety," she said.

Sesay added that children "were abused when rebels entered".

She spoke of the "positive" support provided by both the government in Guinea and by non-government organisations (NGOs).

"The government, the community and the NGOs were able to come around and help those and give... food, protection and shelter," she said.

Sesay said that because she was able to speak English - the official language of Liberia - she volunteered with the NGOs to help other refugees, working with Action Against Hunger on health education, hygiene campaigns and food distribution.

"At times, there was no power, and we had to use flashlights to continue serving the children safely," she said.

"Despite these challenges, our priority was to make sure that every child received food and water without interruption."

She was also trained through the International Rescue Committee, which supported refugee education and health projects, and worked with CARE International.

She said that following a "huge attack" she was moved by Catholic missionaries to the city of Guinea-Conakry.

"The Guineans, the refugees, everyone faced the brutalisation," she said.

She was then reported to the United Nations and was eventually resettled in Norway in 2003.

She said it was good to "feel safe" and "have a roof over my head", but she struggled to learn Norwegian and felt that while she did start a course in health and social care, she would be unable to pursue her dream of education in the country.

Twelve years later, she had the opportunity to move to the UK to study for a diploma at Manchester College.

After a few years working as a carer, she started a three-year course at the University of Manchester in 2023.

Her lecturer Sam Aston said her "remarkable journey" was a "testament to her resilience and determination to fulfil her dream at Manchester".

"The passion and compassion that she has shown for public health have driven her to turn her experiences into a purposeful education," she said.

"We are immensely proud of her achievement and excited to see the difference she will make in improving health for vulnerable communities."

Sesay said graduating was a dream come true and she was "very proud right now".

"As a refugee, I didn't know I could do this," she said.

"It was a different situation in a different life, [a] different world.

"My journey has taken me from fleeing a civil war in Liberia to living in a refugee camp in Guinea and now graduating from The University of Manchester."

She said losing her parents at a young age had been "incredibly difficult, but the support I received from humanitarian organisations and the communities around me gave me hope and determination".

She added that she wanted her story to inspire others.

"I would say always think that you can still make it in life, once you follow your dreams and be strong and work hard and find the right support," she said.

"Always think you will make it."

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