“Being in School Protects Me” – Congolese Refugee Student in Rwanda

When Dorcas Uwimbabazi fled war in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at just five years old, she carried little with her except her family’s hope for safety. Today, at 18, she carries something more powerful, a dream of becoming a journalist.

Growing up in Rwanda’s Kigeme Refugee Camp, Dorcas quickly learned that school was more than a classroom. It was a refuge within a refuge, a place where she could imagine a future beyond displacement.

Now in her fifth year of secondary school at GS Gasaka in Nyamagabe District, where she studies languages and literature, Dorcas is determined to turn that dream into reality. She wants to use her voice to represent communities like hers.

“I would like to become a journalist and advocate for our communities, because journalists speak on behalf of people,” she says. “I want to speak for the next generation.”

For Dorcas, education is not only about career aspirations. It is also about protection.

“Being in school protects me from early pregnancy,” she explains. “Sometimes, when girls drop out of school, you find that before even a year passes, some of them get pregnant and take on the responsibility of caring for their babies at a young age. But when you are in school, you take care of yourself and focus on your future. That’s why I tell myself that I must study hard.”

Her story echoes the experience of many refugee children in Rwanda.

Eric Habinshuti, a 20-year-old Congolese refugee, says education offers stability in an environment where opportunities are limited.

“Education is a strong protection for us refugee children because it keeps us off the streets,” he says. “In the camp, there are no jobs and no land to farm. When we are at school, we gain knowledge that will help us survive in the outside world and support our families in the future.”

Rwanda’s inclusive education policy allows refugee children to study alongside Rwandan students in public schools. In principle, access to education is guaranteed. In practice, however, even modest costs, such as school fees, meals, uniforms, notebooks and pens, can be beyond the reach of families who rely largely on humanitarian assistance.

Support from the Entrecanales Family Foundation has helped bridge that gap. Through its contributions, UNHCR is able to cover education-related expenses for Dorcas, Eric and more than 45,000 other refugee children enrolled in Rwandan schools. The programme also provides sanitary materials, ensuring that refugee girls can attend classes comfortably and confidently.

For students like Dorcas, this assistance does more than cover costs, it reduces stress.

“Mentally, we feel at ease because we don’t worry about going home to ask our parents for materials when we know they don’t have the means,” she says. “That reduces stress.”

With her school fees paid and materials provided, Dorcas says she can focus entirely on her studies.

“It helps improve my performance because when I have all the materials I need and my school fees are paid, the only thing required of me is to study,” she says. “That motivates me. I tell myself, ‘If they have paid for me, how can I just sit and do nothing?’”

For Dorcas and thousands of other refugee children in Rwanda, education is more than a right, it is a shield, a source of dignity, and a pathway toward rebuilding lives interrupted by conflict.