DAFI Alumna graduates with 1st Class Honours

Hana Abraham's life story began in Harar, Ethiopia, where she was born in January 2000. Her father, an Eritrean national, feared for his safety and that of his family due to then ongoing conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia. In 2008, he decided to relocate his family to Hargeisa, Somaliland, where they hoped to find peace and security. After registering as refugees with the UNHCR, they were provided support and assistance to adjust to their new home.

Hana had a strong desire to learn and a persistent hope for a better future. Her father, with the help of UNHCR, enrolled her in Hussein Gire primary school, where she resumed her primary education that was interrupted by her family's relocation to Hargeisa. She took the Somaliland National Examination in 2016, passed it and advanced to Sh.Ali Ibrahim Secondary school. She successfully completed her secondary education after taking the national examination again in 2020.

Discovering DAFI

Despite numerous obstacles in her quest for higher education, including scarce scholarships opportunities, language barriers that hinder access to information, family living below the poverty index and other needs, she did not give up on her dreams. With some financial help from her father, she was able to join Admas University in October 2020 where she chose to study social work.

While on the verge of dropping out from the university after her father couldn’t sustain in paying her fees, she reached out to UNHCR for support. The group informed her of the DAFI scholarship programme that supports refugees and returnees with access to tertiary education. Interested, she applied for the scholarship in July and was fortunate enough to be among the few chosen for the DAFI programme 2021 intake.

Keen to give back to others, she joined the Horn East, Central of Africa (HECA) refugee community committees and contributed to their projects and initiatives. She also worked as an interpreter with the National Displacement and Refugee Agency, helping other refugees and displaced people. Hana believes that volunteering is a way to give back to the society that supported her education and integration.

Hana is a remarkable young woman who has overcome many challenges in her life. She came to Admas University as a refugee from a war-torn country, but she did not let that stop her from pursuing her passion for social work! She graduated with a degree in Social Work, 1st class honors in September 2023. She impressed everyone with her academic excellence and leadership skills and was awarded a Master's scholarship by the university to continue her studies in the field of international relations and politics. Hana's goal is to use her education and experience to advocate for girls' rights and empowerment around the world. She firmly believes that 'investing in girls’ education is the only way to build a transformative society and a stronger and peaceful society.