Akongo Jane grew up in displacement camps.  She was born in south Sudan to a single mother, but her young life was almost immediately disrupted by war.  By the age of three, she called the Bweyale camp home.  She stayed there with her aunt and cousins, spending her days fetching water and firewood.  She also attended an open air, makeshift school while living in the camp.  Each class had more than 50 students and there were no real classrooms and no books, just eager students hoping to learn and to escape from the daily doldrum. She managed to study through primary six in this manner.

Around the age of 12, Jane traveled to the Acholi Quarter to stay with her mother who had been struggling to survive by working in the stone quarry.  Jane stayed for six months.  Unable to attend school and seeing the
limited opportunities, she eagerly opted to travel with her cousin to Kenya to live in another displacement camp outside of Nairobi.  It was rumored that young adults in that camp were being awarded scholarships to study abroad.  She lived in that camp for about another five
years, studying through senior 4.  When no opportunities to study abroad prevailed, Jane returned to the Acholi
Quarter.

Unmarried, Jane now lives in the Acholi Quarter with her son.  Her mother died about eight years ago.  Jane has a small business selling groundnut paste which she makes and other foodstuffs like cooking oil and tomatoes.  Her biggest challenge maintaining the business is that often she must use her earnings for rent and other essentials and lacks the capital to reinvest into her business.