UNHCR Awards 150 New DAFI Scholarships in Sudan
Windle Trust International has been partnering with UNHCR in Sudan since 1999, providing higher education opportunities to refugees and other people of concern. Over the years we have been able to support over 5,000 Sudan resident refugees from a number of different countries through the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI) scholarships, an initiative of the German government.
We are pleased that this year, UNHCR has confirmed 150 new undergraduate scholarships for refugees in the Sudan that will be managed by Windle Trust International. The applications for the scholarship come from refugees across the Sudan, with large numbers of applicants being refugees from from Syria, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Chad, Central Africa Republic and Yemen.
Sudan has one of the largest refugee populations in Africa. According to the UNHCR, Sudan has about 1,108,153 registered refugees in the country, with data from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) showing that adolescents and youth aged 14-25 years make up 75% of the refugee population in the Sudan. The youth and the adolescents are said to be among the most disadvantaged, with many having missed out on schooling. This holds them back from achieving their full potential. The DAFI scholarship is therefore one of the most important initiatives that gives the young people not only an opportunity, but hope for a better future as refugees.
DAFI scholarships aim to:
develop qualified human resources to contribute to the reconstruction of the country of origin upon repatriation;
achieve self-reliance of the beneficiary refugee students and their families through gainful employment;
serve as a model for other refugees to further their education, particularly female students;
contribute to the refugee community – as teachers or through other work
The DAFI scholarships programme strives to provide quality tertiary education opportunities for refugee male and female to help them pursue their academic studies through supporting them financially and through strengthening their skills and capacities to meet their current and future needs.