Since the outbreak of war between rival militaries in Sudan in April 2023, over 14 million people have been displaced, marking the world’s largest displacement crisis. Among those affected are students like Sarah Tekhlu, an Eritrean refugee who was displaced multiple times—from Khartoum to Madani, then to Port Sudan—and was ready to give up on university, believing higher education was a luxury she could no longer afford.

Sarah is one of hundreds of refugee and internally displaced students who have maintained their academic pursuits through the DAFI programme, a scholarship initiative backed by the UNHCR–Mastercard Foundation partnership and administered with Windle Trust International. Studying information management at Comboni College in Khartoum, Sarah found renewed hope and purpose.

Another student, Azhari, displaced from North Darfur to Port Sudan, was midway through a civil engineering degree at the University of Kordofan when the conflict threatened to end his education. He acknowledges that without the scholarship, he would have faced numerous challenges. Beyond financial aid, Azhari highlights the importance of community and psychological support, saying, “It helped me in so many aspects, community support and psychological support, because I found someone nearby me.”

The program offers more than tuition coverage; it provides mentoring, leadership training, and opportunities for students to connect with peers facing similar challenges. For Azhari, completing his degree is also a way to contribute to rebuilding war-damaged communities.

The UNHCR–Mastercard Foundation partnership continues to invest in refugee and internally displaced students, emphasizing that the future of a generation need not be defined by the conflict surrounding them.

Sources

UN News: Sudan: ‘It made me dream again’: The students refusing to let war stop their education