Preuss Freshman Tells Her Story of Leaving Sudan for a Chance at a Better Future

Imagine leaving your country, your family, and your home to plant a seed for the next generation of your family. My parents and my family are all from Sudan. Living in Sudan is not easy. My parents had to pay for everything in school - books, paper, pencils - all of which are expensive. Because of this, many students dropout of school to work. My dad was a hard worker; he worked hard for his small business. He had to feed himself, buy clothes for himself, and he had to help his parents. As for my mom, she suffered a tragedy when she lost her mother at the age of nine. She was able to attend school; however, she chose to drop out so she could help her siblings. My parents did not want my siblings and me to face the same struggles as they did. The only way to escape from this struggle was to leave their whole family and their country. It was hard because no one from my family had ever left Sudan to go to a place far, far away. However, they left Sudan for Egypt - the place where I was born.

Hello, my name is Hawaa Bahreldin. I am in ninth grade and I am fourteen years old. I have four siblings and I am the second oldest. I live in a low-income household. I was born in Egypt and was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. When I was born nobody knew that I had sickle cell anemia. Not even my doctors. However, when I started getting very sick, my parents rushed me to the hospital. Doctors tried to take blood, but none of my veins were working except the one on my neck. At the moment my doctor used a red pen and wrote something down, something that was urgent. I needed some urgent care as soon as possible. While this whole thing was happening, my parents tried to make papers to travel to a better place. As time went by, we got a call that our papers were accepted and we were able to go to America. 

We traveled to America and things were different. The language, the area, the people - America felt like a different world. We had no family here, but the people were very welcoming. My parents made the right choice and I thank them for that. Now I am thriving. I can go to school for free. I can accomplish things and dream big. In the future, I hope to attend Stanford University and major in biology. I dream of becoming a hematologist and helping kids who suffer from sickle cell anemia as I did. 

If I were to get this money I would first use it on a laptop and headphones. This has become a more pressing need because school is now online due to the coronavirus. Having a laptop and headphones would help me with my education. Additionally, I would use this money for some art and journaling supplies. I enjoy watercolor painting, sketching, and journaling. It helps me calm down and forget about all of the stressors in my life like assignments, quizzes, and exams. Also, I would use the money for desk organizers. Being organized increases my productivity and I believe that it will help me to succeed in life. Lastly, I would use the money for some athletic wear. I work out five days a week and getting athletic wear would be helpful. Thank you for your act of kindness and generosity and thank you for taking the time to read my story. I am deeply grateful for this amazing opportunity. 

If you would like more information on how to sponsor Hawaa or another A Bridge for Kids student please contact Grace Jo at gjo@abridgeforkids.org. If you would like to make a donation that will go directly to Hawaa please visit our donation page and let us know you would like to direct your generosity to Hawaa in the Notes section.