Fund my PhD Research
Donation protected
Dear Family and Friends,
My name is Jacob Atem and I’m one of the Lost Boys of South Sudan. I grew up an orphan most of my life and I didn’t know what it was like to be part of good education institution. Due to the civil war between North and South Sudan, I grew up as a refugee in Kenya and it deprived me of early childhood education. One of my favorite quotes from the Lost Boys is that “education is our mothers and our fathers”. I was so little at that time and I didn’t fully understand what it meant until when most of the Lost Boys resettled in the USA and pursued their education religiously, I finally understood what they meant for almost 2 decades about the importance of education.
I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Spring Arbor University, Masters of Public Health from Michigan State University and now I’m a PhD Candidate at the University of Florida. If any of my family members or friends would have asked me in Kakuma Refugee camp before immigrated to America that I would be a PhD Candidate, I would have told them that not in a million years that I can even finish high school let alone attempting a PhD at the University of Florida!
This brings me to what I’m raising money for. Currently, I’m a PhD Candidate at UF and I would like to conduct my research in Kakuma Refugee camp, where I have spent 9 years before immigrating to the U.S. in 2001. My research focus is “Determining the risk factors for enteric infections in children under 5 years of age in Kakuma Refugee Camp: A Case-Control Study”. I have established partnerships with United Nation High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Kakuma, both of which will be necessary to carry out my research. Unfortunately, I don’t have funding to go over to Kakuma and conduct my PhD Dissertation.
I have estimated that my research will require $15,000 to collects data to complete my PhD dissertation. This money will be used for; travel to the site, lodging, meal allowance and incidentals, community health workers (interpreters) and entry visa to Kenya.
Currently, my wife and I are expecting our second child and she is due in May. I would like to have these funds by January, 2016 so that I can go and collects my data in Kakuma and comeback in time before my second child is due in May, 2016.
This research means so much to me for several reasons; 1) I’m no longer a Lost Boy, I’m a young scientist contributing to the body of knowledge through refugee health, 2) I have not been to Kakuma refugee camp since I left in 2001 and going back to Kakuma to conduct a research that would improve the health of children under 5 years old in the refugee settings would be a great honor to be part of the solution, 3) It is good to give back to the community that had done so much for me and if it means dedicating my life helping vulnerable populations such as women and children, then I will. Below are some quotes from IRC and my PhD Committee members about my research:
IRC Kenya Country stated, Jacob’s “research will help provide information on the causes of enteric infections among under 5 children at the Kakuma refugee Camp. This will help UNHCR, IRC and other partners come up with effective preventive and curative measures for these infections”.
A quote from my PhD Dissertation Chairman, Jacob’s “personal story is extremely moving. He was born in South Sudan, watch most of his family die in a violence act of genocide, fled across multiple countries, live in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya, and eventually made his way to the US and the University of Florida. The story is moving and his ability to endure it is inspiring. However his surviving the ordeal is not what is impressive about Jacob, what is inspiring is the amazing spirit, commitment, and dedication with which, he continues to push himself forward”.
Another quote from my Chairman, “over the past decades I have supervised over 70 graduate students. I can say with confidence that I have never met one who has the level of commitment and dedication to use his education to create change in the world”.
A quote from one of my Committee Members, Jacob’s “passion for improving the health of vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa is tangible, and he will no doubt does great things”.
Dear friends, family members, colleagues, I’m thankful for the opportunity that America has given me through education. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I can only get there through your support. I’m urging all of you to contribute any small amount of money toward my PhD Dissertation research so that I can complete this last stage of higher education. As you are celebrating Thanksgivings and Christmas, I would like you to share my research with your friends and family members. For many years, I don’t asked anything for Christmas but for this year, if you are a friend or a family member and want to give me a gift, the only gift I’m asking is for every friends, family members and colleagues of mine is to contribute money toward conducting my research in Kenya.
Thanks
Jacob Atem
PhD Candidate
My name is Jacob Atem and I’m one of the Lost Boys of South Sudan. I grew up an orphan most of my life and I didn’t know what it was like to be part of good education institution. Due to the civil war between North and South Sudan, I grew up as a refugee in Kenya and it deprived me of early childhood education. One of my favorite quotes from the Lost Boys is that “education is our mothers and our fathers”. I was so little at that time and I didn’t fully understand what it meant until when most of the Lost Boys resettled in the USA and pursued their education religiously, I finally understood what they meant for almost 2 decades about the importance of education.
I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Spring Arbor University, Masters of Public Health from Michigan State University and now I’m a PhD Candidate at the University of Florida. If any of my family members or friends would have asked me in Kakuma Refugee camp before immigrated to America that I would be a PhD Candidate, I would have told them that not in a million years that I can even finish high school let alone attempting a PhD at the University of Florida!
This brings me to what I’m raising money for. Currently, I’m a PhD Candidate at UF and I would like to conduct my research in Kakuma Refugee camp, where I have spent 9 years before immigrating to the U.S. in 2001. My research focus is “Determining the risk factors for enteric infections in children under 5 years of age in Kakuma Refugee Camp: A Case-Control Study”. I have established partnerships with United Nation High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Kakuma, both of which will be necessary to carry out my research. Unfortunately, I don’t have funding to go over to Kakuma and conduct my PhD Dissertation.
I have estimated that my research will require $15,000 to collects data to complete my PhD dissertation. This money will be used for; travel to the site, lodging, meal allowance and incidentals, community health workers (interpreters) and entry visa to Kenya.
Currently, my wife and I are expecting our second child and she is due in May. I would like to have these funds by January, 2016 so that I can go and collects my data in Kakuma and comeback in time before my second child is due in May, 2016.
This research means so much to me for several reasons; 1) I’m no longer a Lost Boy, I’m a young scientist contributing to the body of knowledge through refugee health, 2) I have not been to Kakuma refugee camp since I left in 2001 and going back to Kakuma to conduct a research that would improve the health of children under 5 years old in the refugee settings would be a great honor to be part of the solution, 3) It is good to give back to the community that had done so much for me and if it means dedicating my life helping vulnerable populations such as women and children, then I will. Below are some quotes from IRC and my PhD Committee members about my research:
IRC Kenya Country stated, Jacob’s “research will help provide information on the causes of enteric infections among under 5 children at the Kakuma refugee Camp. This will help UNHCR, IRC and other partners come up with effective preventive and curative measures for these infections”.
A quote from my PhD Dissertation Chairman, Jacob’s “personal story is extremely moving. He was born in South Sudan, watch most of his family die in a violence act of genocide, fled across multiple countries, live in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya, and eventually made his way to the US and the University of Florida. The story is moving and his ability to endure it is inspiring. However his surviving the ordeal is not what is impressive about Jacob, what is inspiring is the amazing spirit, commitment, and dedication with which, he continues to push himself forward”.
Another quote from my Chairman, “over the past decades I have supervised over 70 graduate students. I can say with confidence that I have never met one who has the level of commitment and dedication to use his education to create change in the world”.
A quote from one of my Committee Members, Jacob’s “passion for improving the health of vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa is tangible, and he will no doubt does great things”.
Dear friends, family members, colleagues, I’m thankful for the opportunity that America has given me through education. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I can only get there through your support. I’m urging all of you to contribute any small amount of money toward my PhD Dissertation research so that I can complete this last stage of higher education. As you are celebrating Thanksgivings and Christmas, I would like you to share my research with your friends and family members. For many years, I don’t asked anything for Christmas but for this year, if you are a friend or a family member and want to give me a gift, the only gift I’m asking is for every friends, family members and colleagues of mine is to contribute money toward conducting my research in Kenya.
Thanks
Jacob Atem
PhD Candidate
Organizer
Jacob Atem
Organizer
Gainesville, FL
