WIK and The University of Nairobi have over the years forged cordial relations that finally culminated in the signing of an agreement between the two organizations in a virtual ceremony held on November 18th 2020.This formalized the partnership and further scales up support for refugee students. To date, a total of 239 students from refugee camps in Kenya and those from urban areas have been sponsored to undertake different training programmes at the University since 2008. Currently, WIK is supporting 158 (41F, 117M) students at the University. In the scholarship awards of 2019, 87 out of 245 new scholars were placed at the University of Nairobi. This represents an equivalent of 35% of the total population of new scholars. The world class training that UoN offers to our scholars has provided a solid foundation for social and professional development, allowing our beneficiaries to build careers in competitive fields of employment.

This is evident from post-degree monitoring of WIK alumni from UoN who are bringing transformative change and achieving significant career milestones back in their countries of origin. Indeed, the social returns exceed investment at the individual level and WIK appreciates the role that the UoN plays in producing highly educated refugees. WIK’s founder, Dr. Hugh Austin Windle Pilkington, was mentioned and celebrated at the event. Hugh taught at the University of Nairobi’s Department of Religious Studies between 1972 and 1980 from where his humanitarian activities among refugees began. Through partnerships and collaborations, WIK has made continuous improvements that address the demands of the beneficiaries while sharing the risks and expenses.

Many refugee students have had to overcome substantial barriers in their pursuit for education. While significant progress has been made in expanding higher education opportunities for refugees, much remains to be done. Statistics indicate that less than one-sixth of refugees have access to tertiary education, including technical and vocational education and training.
The story of Peter Mading, a recent WIK alumna and 1st Class Honors Graduate is that of resilience and shattering glass ceilings. Peter was a WIK scholarship beneficiary under the DAFI programme (Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative), supported to undertake a Bachelor of Science Degree in Conflict Resolutions and Humanitarian Assistance at the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology(MMUST). “I have been a refugee for the last 20 years....

WIK caught up with him to discuss this big achievement

1. What does it mean to you to achieve this level of academic success ?
Achieving the highest degree in economics is definitely my proudest personal milestone after my family. I hope to use my personal success story to inspire people in refugee camps, and to make them believe that it is possible to rise to the highest level of education out of tough a place like Kakuma Refugee Camp. With a PhD in hand, I aim to employ the skills and knowledge that I have acquired to solve some of the socio-economic problems that are facing our communities today.
2. What was your inspiration to excel in academics and to advance your education ?
My motivation to advance in education stems from multiple sources. First, I find economics intellectually stimulating because it provides answers to many contemporary issues using tractable models to represent complex behaviours of economic agents. Second, my elder siblings sacrificed so much to give me a chance at life when many things were not working in my favour back in the days in Kakuma. I promised myself to repay their sacrifices by becoming the best version of me that I could possibly be.
3. How have your life experiences shaped you in this journey ?