She is a refugee, 30 years old, studying in Côte d’Ivoire, Ivory Coast, and deeply determined to give her future a new direction grounded in hope. Thanks to UNHCR’s DAFI scholarship program—the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative—Ornella now dreams of earning her university degree in nutrition and making a difference in the lives of many people.
“This scholarship made possible in my life by UNHCR through the DAFI program was a true miracle amid so much horror and suffering. Being able to study nutrition and dream of a different future has been a great light, a door that gave me back the hope I lost five years ago because of the war that broke out in my country,” says Ornella Banam, a young and enthusiastic Central African student who was forced to grow up overnight due to the shock of violence and ongoing ethnic conflicts in her beloved homeland. Because of these bitter memories, a glimmer of pain still lingers in her bright, smiling eyes.
Just a year ago, 30-year-old Ornella’s life was at a standstill and her dreams frozen. The young refugee, born on the African continent and now facing life with renewed hope, got a well-deserved stroke of luck when she was awarded the DAFI scholarship thanks to her excellent academic record. But before that happened, her life’s boat capsized with fierce and unexpected force, and at 25, she almost lost all hope.
Ornella miraculously survived a brutal attack by a rebel group from her country, armed and violent, that stormed the church she attended with her family in a small village—one of many scattered across the Central African Republic. It was 2014, and after surviving the assault, her family decided to flee to Burkina Faso. “I saw before my eyes how my dream of studying was destroyed, but today, I am happy again thanks to this invaluable opportunity that the DAFI scholarship gave me. And yes, I have once again become optimistic and look to the future with enthusiasm.”
Starting Over
When she managed to escape the horror of the civil war to Burkina Faso, destiny still had other great trials in store. Although she was able to continue her university studies in her host country, holding on to her dream of becoming a nutritionist, tragedy struck again: her father passed away just two years after they had settled in their new home. This circumstance made it impossible for Ornella and her family to cover the costs of education—tuition, materials, and transportation. She had no choice but to abandon her studies and put her dream on hold.
Last year, Ornella recounts, fate gave her a second chance—one she knows she will not waste. Her file was selected among hundreds of outstanding candidates to join the DAFI scholarship program (the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative), which allowed her to resume her studies in higher education with renewed enthusiasm.
The figures provided by UNHCR are sobering. They strike deeply at the social level because they reveal the open wound left by the brutal consequences of violent conflicts that indiscriminately destroy the dreams of countless children, adolescents, and young people—many of whom later become refugees. These statistics expose a devastating and widespread inequality: those forced to migrate and live as refugees show alarmingly low education rates. Experts express serious concern that across all levels—primary, secondary, and tertiary—education rates among refugees are dramatically lower even than those of the poorest populations within the global community.
Creating and Dreaming of a Different Future Despite the Circumstances
Funded mainly by the Government of Germany and supported by additional strong financial backing from Denmark, UNHCR’s DAFI program enables many young refugees to access higher education scholarships. This initiative has become a powerful tool—a key that opens the door to the future and transforms lives. Since its inception in 1992, DAFI has made it possible for more than 21,000 refugees worldwide to access tertiary education. A remarkable figure that includes 6,300 people in West Africa since 2010. This year, another 935 young refugees from 15 West African countries—including the brave and determined Ornella Banam—have been awarded DAFI scholarships, allowing them to dream once again of a future illuminated by hope.
