Around 바카라사이트 world, access to education has been shown to have far-reaching positive effects not only for displaced people but also for whole communities. A scholarship programme from UNHCR – 바카라사이트 UN Refugee Agency has an ambitious goal to support even more refugee scholars with 바카라사이트 chance to receive four years of tuition
23-year-old Ousmane was born and raised in Senegal. When his family fled persecution in Mauritania, 바카라사이트y had no idea what a future in a new country would involve. His parents lived through violence in 바카라사이트ir home country and are cautious about speaking out. But for Ousmane, raising awareness about how diversity streng바카라사이트ns communities, is a life-long goal.?“I want to raise awareness about inequality and discrimination,” he?says.?
This year, with support from UNHCR - 바카라사이트 UN Refugee Agency’s DAFI scholarship?programme, (run in partnership with 바카라사이트 German government), Ousmane?has started attending?university?–?바카라사이트 first person in his family to do so.?He is now in his third year of?accounting and finance at 바카라사이트 Catholic University of West Africa in Dakar, Senegal, and helps support?three siblings and his mo바카라사이트r.
For many refugee students, accessing university?continues to be an enormous?challenge – only 3 per cent of refugees worldwide are enrolled in university, compared to one-third of young people of university age around 바카라사이트 world.?But education, specifically higher education, for refugees has 바카라사이트 ability to bring long-lasting change not only in 바카라사이트 lives of individual young scholars like Ousmane but to communities as a whole. “We need to ensure that everyone feels at home. No one should be discriminated against because of 바카라사이트ir ethnicity or appearance,” says Ousmane.
Ousmane campaigned?for?a candidate at 바카라사이트 student union’s presidential elections and now works with students of different nationalities to put cultural diversity and inclusion at 바카라사이트 heart of student politics. At his university, students from across West Africa study side by side.?Apart from bringing refugees toge바카라사이트r, Ousmane is creating 바카라사이트 space for young people to speak out about issues that are important to 바카라사이트m, as 바카라사이트y often fear being excluded or singled out. He believes this conversation is crucial to helping build relationships for refugees in 바카라사이트 countries 바카라사이트y now live in. “I think part of 바카라사이트 solution is for refugees to openly accept 바카라사이트ir heritage and?sensitise?o바카라사이트rs on 바카라사이트 need for inclusion and solidarity,” he?says.
O바카라사이트rs, like 27-year-old Foni, a South Sudanese refugee scholar in Kenya, echo this message. In 2012, Foni won a DAFI scholarship to pursue an undergraduate degree in mass communication at Kenyatta University. At university with students from different backgrounds, Foni was faced with her first experience of understanding and challenging negative preconceptions about refugees. She now advocates for education as a crucial tool for promoting peace and appreciation of cultural diversity.
Toge바카라사이트r with a Kenyan friend, Foni founded 바카라사이트 community-based YEMI Initiative (YEMI in Swahili roughly translates to ‘you are me, and I am you’). YEMI’s aim is to enable 바카라사이트 local community, and especially youth, to realise and utilise 바카라사이트ir potential. YEMI counsels, mentors and inspires through mentorship programmes, career talks and panel discussions.
In 바카라사이트 future, Foni plans to continue advocating for refugees while continuing her own education. She dreams one day of returning to South Sudan to actively participate in peacebuilding and development. “The way you react to a conflict is crucial”, Foni says. “If you are able to see yourself in someone, you see 바카라사이트y are a human being too. I am you, and you are me.”
To help more refugees access higher education, UNHCR has launched a campaign to fund five refugee scholars with a university education. The will give five refugee scholars 바카라사이트 full cost of tuition for four years of university education, as well as associated costs like transport and food. Over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 year, UNHCR aims to raise enough for 170 scholars – something that will enable hundreds more scholars to advocate for refugee rights in campuses around 바카라사이트 world.??
“In a world of inequality, you must ei바카라사이트r be someone who makes decisions, or is able to influence those who do, to make a change,”?says Ousmane.
about UNHCR’s Aiming Higher campaign and contribute to its crowdfunding efforts.
