OFFICIALS from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have said that plans are underway to set up a university in Mahama refugee camp this year so that refugee students get access to university education.

Saber Azam, the UNHCR country representative said the UN refugee agency is mobilizing funds from public and private donors and was optimistic that the university will start before this year ends.

Azam said this as he accompanied the Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai who visited the camp as part of her advocacy campaign in refugee camps under the auspices of the UNHCR.

He added that the visit would also help mobilise more funds for the construction of the university among other activities.It is jointly working with Kepler University.

This would be the second camp with students who can access university studies in Rwanda and worldwide after the first university in a refugee camp was opened in Kiziba Congolese refugee camp which is situated in Karongi District, Western Province.

Congolese e have been in Rwanda for over 20 years and officials said that it is better to help refugee students access university studies while still in camps.

"We have done the feasibility study, the assessment has been done by Kepler University and now the rest is just an issue of encouraging funders to come, we could need some funding and we hope that people with goodwill will support the university,” Azam told Sunday Times

He also added that the budget would depend on the number of students who will qualify to join the university.

The university will operate from within the camp according to the officials.

"Education is priority and I am committed to make it happen this year, I hope that public and private donors will hear the message that we are funding and the message that Malala will be conveying will help, one child who is educated can make a huge difference to the future of the community,” he added

Refugee students and teachers welcomed the initiative saying that although their wish was to repatriate and live in their country, university education was needed even while in the camp.

 "I am happy that there is a hope for a university in the camp, even if we want to go back home, we also need to study in case our country is not pacified and we don’t get a chance to go back to pursue our studies there,” said Jeannette Kampororo, one of students.

Kepler University Programme in Kiziba camp began in November last year.

Mahama camp, home of over 49,000 refugees, has over 15,000 children who have access to primary and secondary.

Over 5000 of them are in secondary education while about 2700 do not go to school.

Rwanda is home to over 162,000 refugees who live in various camp, most of them being Congolese and Burundians.

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