Dear xxxxxx,

Grace is a woman on a mission. She’s not only studying for a diploma in Public Health, but she’s also helping mentor other young female scholars to become leaders in their communities.

Grace is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but has spent much of her life as a refugee in Burundi. Thanks to a DAFI Scholarship, she is well on her way to fulfilling her dream of working in the health sector.

She is also the president of the DAFI Women Power Club, which helps to prepare young female scholars for future roles in leadership and community change.

“I want to promote female leadership...We keep moving forward and mentoring younger refugee girls and women who come after us so that they can become leaders and have some impact in this world. Mentalities are slowly evolving.”

The DAFI Refugee Scholarship has been running since 1992, and has transformed the lives of more than 26,500 refugee students so far. The scholarship not only covers tuition fees, but other associated costs such as materials, transport and even accommodation, to remove barriers to learning.

Extra-curricular activities – such as the DAFI Women Power Club – also help students to boost their confidence, gain employability skills and network with future employers.

“Being a refugee is not a choice. It is a situation that can happen in life. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be hopeful that you can change and escape that prison. It is all about changing your mindset. It is primarily about how you look at things and what future you envision for yourself. You have to figure out ways to get by and to also help others. As DAFI female scholars, our role is to show that being a refugee doesn’t mean that you should stay idle and lose hope.”

In 2019, just 1% of refugees had access to higher education, while today that figure has increased to 7%.

Our aim is to enable 15% of refugees to access higher education by 2030. Will you help us get closer to our target this World Education Day?

Make a donation today, and you’ll be helping to open up careers and opportunities for talented young refugees around the world.

Thank you, 

Monia Hassan
International Supporter Care
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency