Volume 1, Issue 5-6 / May-June 2009
25 refugees students who completed their secondary school education embrace unusual opportunity of joining Canada university each year.
Despite the poor performance of camp schools most of refugee students who learn in the national and private secondary schools outside the camp perform very well but a limited number of them get chances to pursue their tertiary study either at local or overseas universities.
Windle charitable trust wct / wtk select these few young boys and young ladies who are below 25 years of old then prepares them for TOEFL examinations and research paper work. The communities in the camp appreciate the program and plead to WSCU officials to increase the intake from kakuma camp
“The WSCU scholarship not only offers an opportunity to development but also is a sign of recognizing humanity of refugee.” a Rwandan elder said.
Refugee are victims of internal bad governance and external political general conflict. Education paves way for development and finds solutions that satisfy many needs of refugees can be part of desirable changes when they are educated
However many refugee questions the use of education in a land that is considered to be exile by the refugees in kakuma camp. “The education in kakuma refugee camp has no meaning where the refugees are always complaining that their human rights are not meant to compete for a managerial position when he or she is educated even though highly qualified than the national or international staffs.” a former UNISA graduate refugee said.
This is not only concern that refugee raised, some feel that they are not allowed to have money. There are so many unskilled jobs from agencies. However, refugees have not right to seek and get these jobs. Some said that they are segregated from labor market. “Refugees can be cleaners, messengers, water gardeners, and do many other jobs. These jobs pay a lot of money which refugees do not entitled to.,” a Burundian refugee said.
Refugees want to learn and be given opportunity to be part of the global development. Western, Asian and African refugees are equal and could be given equal opportunities to exploit their talents. Anybody can be in this situation but ultimately become a world leader.