Giving the gift of education
Support our refugee scholars
Refugee numbers have doubled since we established Scholarships for Students from a Refugee Background in 2016. Now, more than ever, they need your support.
You can help a refugee student access a life-changing education with a special gift today. Students like Zara.
It was a Scholarship for Students from Refugee Backgrounds that opened the door to university for Zara*. She still remembers the moment:
I didn’t think I’d get it. So, I was shocked when I opened the email and saw I was one of the recipients. My mum was so happy for me and incredibly proud.
I’ll never forget her telling me to make sure I used it for something purposeful and not silly. It was her way of reminding me how important education is.
The scholarship changed the trajectory of Zara’s life. It set her on a path that saw her graduate from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland in 2023 with a Bachelor of Health Sciences. It ignited a desire to continue her studies as she continues with a postgraduate.
Zara’s research will focus on an area of great social need: neurodevelopment of children born to mothers addicted to meth.
Zara’s mum was born in Ethiopia and fled in search of a better life when war broke out. She arrived in New Zealand without any immediate family and unable to speak English.
After Zara and her older brother were born, Zara’s mum made sure they had all the opportunities that she didn’t have. Zara worked hard through her school years, with her mum proudly by her side:
Mum was determined we had the best education because she never had one. School really mattered to her. She wanted me and my brother both to succeed.
Zara’s story, and the impact she is already having in contributing to improve the lives of our most vulnerable young New Zealanders, might have been quite different without her scholarship.
We want to give ten students scholarships for next year. That means we need to raise $70,000.
Scholarships for Students from Refugee Backgrounds are entirely funded through donations from caring people like you.
Without your support, it is often much more difficult for students from a refugee background to cover the costs associated with university tuition.
Your gift today will help a refugee student access a life-changing education.
Zara says it best:
The scholarship helps give refugee students the power to direct their own future. That is so important. It’s so valuable knowing you can take control and depend on yourself despite your past.
Donate now to give the gift of education.