Laurence Nomokiza, a 16-year-old athlete from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has qualified for the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal as a war refugee. He spent his childhood in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya and says that the path to Dakar has been simple for him: "I trained hard, competed hard, and I was able to win."
Challenges and Sports Motivations
Laurence, dressed in a yellow sports outfit and with a bright smile, meets with other competitors in the Olympic Village in Diamniadio, located in the suburbs of Dakar. He talks about the difficult journey he has taken so far. His parents fled from the Kivu region in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to war, and Laurence was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania and then grew up in Kakuma, Kenya.
He says about this: "What led me to become a refugee was, first of all, the war. There are many conflicts where we come from." Laurence lost his father at the age of four, and his mother had to care for nine children alone. Competing in the youth games seems like a dream to him.
Changing Lives Through Sports
He proudly states: "I am happy and proud to be at the Olympics because it is a big stage in sports." Laurence adds that "this sport has really, really changed my life" and has recently turned to taekwondo in 2024. He mentions the challenges and criticisms he has faced as a girl in this field, saying: "I am grateful for the challenges because they taught me to learn new things in life and also made me a strong girl who can overcome anything."
In the refugee camp, where nearly 300,000 people live, Laurence has faced many challenges. "We can go without water for five weeks or three weeks. Sometimes we have no food. You have to eat just one meal a day and wait for the next day."
His mother is also struggling to earn enough income to send him to school and take care of him. He also points out the problems that girls face at a young age, saying: "This is my time to give back to my mother for what she has done for us since our father's death. That’s why I work hard and do my best."
