From Refugee to Dolphin
For most of their lives their world was narrowly defined by the United Nations refugee camps they lived in as children and the Kenyan schools they attended as teenagers. The brutal civil war that forced them from their familial home in Sudan – and which has claimed an estimated 2 million lives to violence, starvation and disease – was never far from their minds. Yet in this often tumultuous environment emerged two strong – even indomitable – spirits and a deep desire to contribute to the world, not in spite of their circumstances, but because of them.
Dominic Loremo Michael Amin ’20 and Boniface Akoro Felix Makuja ’20 traveled more than 11,000 miles and crossed seven time zones to come to Le Moyne, leaving behind everything that was familiar to them – or nearly everything. The men are cousins, but that word does not fully capture the depth their relationship. Brother is more accurate. Over the years they have shared everything – books, food, even a home. Now they share something else – a dream to enter the medical profession and to put their energy and education to work caring for some of the world’s 65 million refugees, particularly those from South Sudan. That is what brought them to Le Moyne, where they are studying biology, Dominic with the goal of becoming a surgeon, Boniface a pharmacist or pediatrician. Both hope to work in a hospital in Sudan one day.
Even as children, Dominic and Boniface were starkly aware of the devastation in Sudan. They heard about and even witnessed the violence and lack of basic resources, such as clean water, that sent people fleeing to safety in neighboring countries, sometimes not surviving the trip. They knew that, in many ways, they were fortunate. Their uncle Darius Makuja, Ph.D., an associate professor of religious studies at Le Moyne, helped their families find safety and housing in Western Kenya when they were young and made sure they got education in that country. From the U.S., he followed his nephews’ progress as high school students and was deeply impressed. He encouraged them to apply to the College, guiding them through the process from another continent. When they learned they were admitted, Dominic and Boniface did not hesitate to accept despite the fact that, before joining their classmates for orientation, they had never before been to the United States. In fact, they’d never even boarded a plane.
Since arriving at Le Moyne, the cousins have immersed themselves in their coursework, adjusting to what they say is a more experiential approach to learning than the one they found in Kenya. They are also becoming connected to the campus community, joining the African Student Union, Biology Club, and Biological Sciences Learning Community. It is challenging, adjusting not just to college-level work taught in what is their second language and adapting to life in an entirely new nation, but they are keeping in mind what their parents taught them, to pursue their work with zeal and zest. Their motivation to do just that is clear. At stake is not just their future, but that of an entire nation tattered by war and bloodshed.