<\/p>\n
Eritrean refugee Sarah Tekhlu had considered abandoning higher education after being displaced from Khartoum to Wad Madani and later to Port Sudan as fighting spread across Sudan. \u201cI was about to surrender to the idea that higher education was not necessary because I could not attend college,\u201d Tekhlu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A scholarship through the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative, known as DAFI, enabled Tekhlu to continue studying information management at Comboni College in Khartoum.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The programme supports refugee and internally displaced students through a partnership between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Mastercard Foundation and Windle Trust International.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The scholarships cover tuition and living expenses while providing mentoring, leadership training and psychological support. \u201cThe biggest part is financial support. Also, it gives me psychological support. It made me believe in myself again. It made me dream again,\u201d Tekhlu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sudan\u2019s war, which began between rival military forces in April 2023, has displaced more than 14 million people and created the world\u2019s largest displacement crisis.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Azhari Ibrahim was studying civil engineering at the University of Kordofan when displacement from North Darfur to Port Sudan threatened to interrupt Ibrahim\u2019s degree. \u201cMaybe I would finish my university, but I would face so many challenges without the scholarship,\u201d Ibrahim said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ibrahim said the programme had also created a supportive community for students facing displacement and uncertainty. \u201cIt helped me in so many aspects, community support and psychological support, because I found someone nearby me,\u201d Ibrahim said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Students also participate in peer workshops and help others navigate university admissions and scholarship applications. \u201cEvery workshop I went to, I came out stronger, full of dreams and more dreams,\u201d Tekhlu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tekhlu now works as a kindergarten teacher while studying and hopes to establish a school. \u201cI love working with kids. I hope one day I will have my own school,\u201d Tekhlu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ibrahim plans to use civil engineering skills to help rebuild communities and infrastructure damaged by the war.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Both students said lasting peace remains essential for Sudan\u2019s recovery. \u201cPeace is the only solution. If there is no peace, we cannot build anything else,\u201d Tekhlu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ibrahim urged displaced students not to abandon education despite the conflict. \u201cLife will not stop. Don\u2019t try to stop your learning and don\u2019t try to stop your study. You have to engage, become strong, and patient to fulfil all your hopes and dreams,\u201d Ibrahim said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":42047,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-42046","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Scholarships are helping refugee and displaced students continue university studies as Sudan\u2019s war threatens to derail education and define an entire generation\u2019s future.","published_date":"","news_description":"Scholarships are helping refugee and displaced students continue university studies as Sudan\u2019s war threatens to derail education and define an entire generation\u2019s future.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/42046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/42046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42048,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/42046\/revisions\/42048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=42046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}