“Getting an education saved me from a life on the streets.”
Gilles Yakam

Gilles is a 23-year-old teacher from Cameroon who believes he can have the life he wants because he received an education. He says that "Having an education has allowed me to get a job and be financially stable."

Gilles had to overcome many challenges when he attended school. He recalls how the extreme heat and lack of adequate food were frequent problems throughout his primary and secondary schooling. Furthermore, with Boko Haram extremism active in the region where he lived, Gilles had to be very careful through areas prone to outbreaks of crime and violence.

Growing up in an area with high crime and delinquency rates, Gilles had a high probability of following that path himself. He credits education as the reason for not ending up in prison. He says: "Getting an education saved me from a life on the streets."