"My name is Nicholas Beda. I was born in 1987 in Juba, Sudan, in the district of Kator. I was born at the time when Sudan was already in the pre-stages of a civil war. My family and I moved from Sudan to Uganda, and then once more to Kenya trying to escape the war. In 1996 my family and I were relocated to the United States.
  
I joined The AjA Project in 2005 as part of an after-school program in the City Heights area. Photography helped further my personal growth by giving me a means of expression. I have seen much; I have grown and I can honestly say it is because I learned how to use a camera. The AjA Project opened many doors for me with their classes and also being part of the Youth Advisory Council.  

I went back to Sudan in 2009 and I finally got to see a land that I had only heard stories about, a land that has been in a civil war for more then four decades. I got to see family that I never knew about and explore Sudan for myself. I am currently working on a photography book with the photos and stories I collected during my trip.

I am currently a volunteer instructor at the Lincoln High School, Center for Social Justice. The importance of self-identity, which The AjA Project teaches students, was the one thing I was missing. Since going to Sudan, I have a good idea of who I am. I have learned that if you don’t tell people who you are and where you come from they will think and tell you where they believe you fit."