Stephen from South Sudan pursues his higher education in Belgium. © Céline Jalil – Caritas International
In the heart of Cairo, Stephen, an inspirational young man who sought refuge in Egypt after fleeing the war in South Sudan, vowed to make the most of his new life. Stephen had left his entire family behind, reuniting only with his older sister. Although safe, his life in Egypt was not without struggles but he vowed to make the most of it, carving a better life for himself and hoping that he can make his family proud.
The bustling life in Egypt was initially quite overwhelming for him, but he quickly realized that the only way he can adapt is to integrate within the Egyptian community, understanding their culture and sharing their experiences, “I made friends with local students, including my college peers. We shared experiences, and did things together, which helped me overcome initial challenges,” he said.
He pursued a nursing degree at Cairo University, overcoming academic challenges, language barriers and mingling with students of entirely different cultures. Once he graduated, Stephen worked at Save the Children, one of UNHCR Egypt’s implementing partners, utilizing his own experiences as a refugee to better service others. It was then that he discovered his passion of working with children, namely migrants and refugees.
Stephen never shied away from an opportunity and as soon as he heard about a scholarship through a Catholic Relief Services (CRS) circulation message, he jumped at the opportunity to apply. Scholarship opportunities for refugees in Egypt are quite limited, so he had never considered the option before, and even though the competition was tough, Stephen was selected for one of the three places offered by KU Leuven. Thanks to the support from UNHCR in Egypt and partner CRS throughout the application process, Stephen arrived in Leuven, a small city in Belgium, home to one of Europe’s oldest universities, in September 2023, along with two other refugees from Cairo, to pursue a master’s degree at KU Leuven. This scholarship was a turning point, bringing him one step closer to his dream of positively influencing the lives of refugees and hopefully, reducing their struggles.
“It was difficult, but I came here to improve myself, get a good education, so I can do more, and maybe motivate other refugee students to try to work hard to get this kind of opportunity in the future”
The EU-Passworld project is a collaboration between the University of Leuven (KULeuven), Caritas International Belgium and the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil). It aims to establish educational and labour pathways in Belgium for people in need of international protection. Stephen’s scholarship not only opened doors for his educational advancement but also provided him with the tools to meaningfully contribute to the refugee cause.
While Stephen’s current academic commitments hinder his ability to volunteer as often as he’d like, he hopes he would be able to dedicate more of his time in the coming years, supporting refugee organizations both in Brussels and globally. “After my master’s, I want to work with organizations helping refugees. My goal is to extend beyond Brussels, assisting refugees everywhere, whether it’s through a job relating to my field or just volunteering, even if it’s not part of my job.”
Despite his achievements, Stephen says one of his biggest challenges is trying to cope with being away from his family. “My sister is in Egypt and my mother is in South Sudan,” Stephen says. “I miss a lot of things about my mother, seeing her, talking to her, just being with her.”
“The missed moments with my family, especially my mother, drive me to pursue a life and a career that can have a positive impact. I want to make her proud.”
Stephen’s family is filled with pride and happiness as he is the first in his family to pursue a higher education. “Studying here in Europe makes them proud,” he says with a grin on his face. However, the hardships of refugee life make family visits difficult. “Being a refugee makes it tough to visit family, but I dream of the day I visit them in Egypt,” he said reflecting on almost five years since they were together last.
“One of the things that keeps me going is my goal to do good. My family is also my inspiration, they have encouraged me to pursue all my dreams, no matter what they are. If I succeed in one thing, they inspire me to continue. I strive to make people happy and fulfill my goals, particularly in helping and inspiring refugees and other vulnerable individuals. What I have been through made me believe in using my capabilities to assist other refugees like myself and hopefully inspire them to dream of a better future, no matter how difficult their life is, there’s always hope.”
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