Class of 2025

Meet the Class of 2025 - a group of talented young people from around the world studying for a higher education on a UNHCR Refugee Scholarship (DAFI). You can follow their progress, celebrate their successes, hear about their challenges and learn more about the difference a scholarship makes to young people who have been forced to flee their homes.

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Rachel from Rwanda

My name is Rachel, I am staying in Blantyre, Malawi. I am studying a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), previous known as The Polytechnic. The program is for 4 years, and currently, I'm almost done with my first year.  My country of origin is Rwanda, both my parents are from there. During holidays I assist my mother with her shop business. I am the third born child in a family of three girls and two boys, I have two elder sisters and two younger brothers. I love to assist people whenever I know that I can manage to do so. And I also love to interact with people as long as I'm comfortable with the conversation. Lastly, I love my name 'Nahimana' which means 'The Will of God', and I believe everything that's happening in my life is by the Will of God. Thank you for my UNHCR Refugee scholarship; I really appreciate it.  

Musa from Congo

My name is Musa. I'm a male Congolese refugee and am 27 years old. I'm living in the Nyarugusu camp in the United Republic of Tanzania.  I'm a UNHCR Refugee scholar and I'm studying for a bachelor's degree in counselling psychology from the University of Iringa in Tanzania. I will graduate in the 2021-2022 academic year. Before I got this scholarship I worked as a secondary school teacher from 2012 to 2016. After quitting teaching I was self-employed as a fashion designer and now I own a tailoring shop where I offer tailored training and have employed 10 people who are all refugees.  

Sara from Syria

My name is Sara Mohammed, and I am a Syrian UNHCR Refugee Scholar at Hawler Medical University, currently seeking asylum and studying in Iraq. I fled from Syria to Iraq and I settled in a Syrian refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Despite the difficulty of living inside tents in the camp, I was able to continue and complete my studies. At first, I didn’t make the grades, but I worked hard and was finally accepted to medical college. I am working as a volunteer in the Public Health Centers PHCs and in public hospitals to help the sick and the needy people. In 2020 and during COVID-19, I conducted awareness campaigns for people and children in the refugee camp where I am settled on how to maintain cleanliness and stay at home to prevent the virus spread where I advised them about the importance of using sterilisers and detergent. While my hobbies are reading books in particular reading historical books to learn from these stories besides sports. 

I do not know how to thank UNHCR and DAFI Scholarship for their continuous support and encouragement for me and for other refugee students. Without this support, my dream was not to come true. 

Andrés from Venezuela

My name is Andrés, I'm from Venezuela, and I will be studying Telematic Engineering. I look forward to studying engineering, because since I was a kid, I was interested in a branch of engineering that mixes both communications and informatics. Learning how to do apps programming, how to send signals, all that is very interesting to me. My dream is to graduate as a Telematic Engineer and to establish my own enterprise. This scholarship will allow me to do it, thanks to the support to continue studying, covering some materials, and carrying out several projects that will help me to graduate. My grandparents have also been an inspiration; they have always wanted me to be an amazing engineer, and that is also a motivation for me. I'm actually a little bit nervous to study Telematic engineering, because it's a difficult complex area of study, and not everyone has the honour, the chance, and the fortune to graduate from this career. But even though it is something that makes me nervous, it also encourages me to carry on towards this achievement.   

Igettie from Rwanda

Hello, my name is Igettie. I live in Lilongwe, Malawi and am a UNHCR refugee scholar. I will be studying human resource management. My mother was a single parent and raised me herself after my father died. My family was forced to flee their home in Rwanda. I am so happy to have received a UNHCR Refugee Scholarship.   

Stephanny from Venezuela

My name is Stephanny Michelle Guaniquez Hurtado. I’m from Venezuela, from Valencia city in the Carabobo province, and I want to study medicine. When I was in high school, studying biology was inspirational to me. And when I was 16 years old, a physician who is a friend of my family invited me to watch a surgery, and that experience made me fall in love even more with this career.  My dream is to study medicine. And with this scholarship, I think it will be achievable. It is a very time demanding career, and I won’t be able to work while I’m studying. With this scholarship, I will focus on my studies, on my learning, and on doing anything else I’m required to.  I chose this career because it’s the career I’ve always wanted. 

Adrian from Venezuela

My name is Adrian Isaac, I'm 19 years old and I'm from Venezuela, but I've been living in Ecuador for almost five years now. I am currently studying for a degree in Marketing as a DAFI Scholar, as I plan to start my own film production company one day, my dream being starring in, writing, directing and producing films and TV shows! I love reading, especially fantasy and romance novels. I am always writing and creating characters, and I plan to get one of my writings published one day. I can't go a day without listening to music, it really moves me. I have many friends, even though I consider myself to be an introvert, but I care deeply about others, another one of my passions being fighting for social justice, which I want to express through art and actions.

Denga from Burundi

I'm Denga and I’m 32 years old and I am a Burundian refugee. In 2015, I was studying to be a midwife in Burundi but was forced to flee my home. I am now a refugee in Tanzania and am studying counselling psychology at the University of Iringa in Tanzania.  

When I arrived at camp, I worked with IRC as a teacher and then as Administrator, I worked with DRC as an outreach worker and also I worked with MSF as a nurse and then I was a supervisor in the outreach community. I’m the youngest in my family and both my parents have passed away. I am married. 

Magly from Venezuela

My name is Magly Lamo, I am from Venezuela and I am currently living in Quito, Ecuador. I am going to study Physiotherapy. I chose this topic because it is something that I have been passionate about for many years and I am inspired by my son who is three years old. My dream is to be one of the best physiotherapists and this is helping me achieve it because it is covering the cost of my studies.  

Carlos from Venezuela

Hi, I'm Carlos. I am from Venezuela but now I am living in Ecuador. I'm 21 years old and I'm studying Computer Engineering. I chose this career because always I have always liked systems and programs and how things work. When I grow up, I want to be a world-class programmer working for the greatest technology companies - helping people to make their lives easier.