Educational opportunities for refugee youth at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Zimbabwe are severely limited. The camp, which hosts over 17,000 refugees primarily from the DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda, only provides schooling up to O Level (10th grade) due to the lack of A Level classrooms. Consequently, bright and motivated students have no access to high schools within walking distance to complete their education. This lack of A Level (11th & 12th grade) options effectively cuts off traditional pathways to university for these young refugees. Furthermore, the camp lacks reliable electricity and internet access, making online learning unfeasible. According to a UNHCR report, only 34% of refugee adolescents globally have access to secondary education , reflecting the broader challenges faced in Tongogara. The UNHCR and other organizations in the camp currently offer only vocational courses, such as carpentry, which limits the academic and career prospects for these students.
Over the last 4 years - I have been working very closely with an organization called TWEENS (Together We Educationally Empower Non-Privileged Students).TWEENS, a remarkable program created by refugees for refugees, offers free tutoring services and after-school activities to students in Tongogara Refugee Camp. Last year, TWEENS introduced an A Level program, providing high school classes that are otherwise unavailable in the camp. The funds raised will be used to support the operational cost of the TWEENS Center. By funding TWEENS we ensure that refugee students receive comprehensive educational opportunities and essential support, enabling them to thrive academically and personally.
The impact of this remarkable initiative is profound and far-reaching. Students who have availed themselves of TWEENS' resources have shown remarkable improvement in their grades, rejuvenating the hope & desire to pursue their academic goals. The refugee alumni of our program have excelled at universities all over the world and continue to give back through social impact projects and advocacy of refugee issues far beyond their immediate communities. After spending more than 12 years in the Tongogara refugee camp, I can affirm that for most young refugees, education has been and continues to be the most certain path towards reclaiming one's sense of purpose and dignity after the traumatic experiences of war and displacement. Furthermore, it serves as a means to enter the labor market, achieve economic self-sufficiency, and offers refugees the best opportunity to break free from years of dependency on others.
We need YOUR support to continue making a lasting impact on refugees' education in Tongogara. By donating today, you can directly contribute to empowering these resilient young minds, providing them with the tools and resources they need to thrive academically.
