Abdallah Abdelrahman Saleh is one of the 30 Sudanese refugee students who make up the first-ever cohort of Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI) scholars in the Central African Republic, thanks to a transformative partnership between UNHCR and the Mastercard Foundation. This historic initiative is opening new pathways for refugee youth to rebuild their futures through language acquisition and higher education. In this story, you will meet one of those remarkable young scholars, hearing the story of his journey in his own words.
“I was born on July 6 — but that date is not just my birthday. It’s the annual rebirth of my hope.”
My name is Abdallah Abdelrahman Saleh, and I was born on July 6, 1997, in the vibrant city of Nyala, Sudan — the city where I first carried a dream on my shoulders, a dream that has never broken, no matter the weight of the years.
Growing up, I moved through three secondary schools where I joined the Scouts and hiked through the mountains east of Nyala, exploring historic landmarks and deepening my appreciation of my country. After graduating from high school and uncertain about my future, I worked under harsh conditions in mines for a few months before eventually being accepted into the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ed-Da’ein.
The medical program was in English, so I took extra language courses in Nyala and trained at Nyala Teaching Hospital. Over three years of study, I became deeply involved in community work, volunteering with the Shaakireen Charity Organization to help vulnerable communities. I served as Deputy Academic Secretary of the medical students’ association, then was elected as President of the Nyala Bahr Students’ Union, leading several student initiatives.
But everything changed during Ramadan in 2023. While visiting my family in Nyala, the war broke out. I found myself trapped under bombardments, living in terror. I spent more than two and a half months in extreme conditions: no food, no water, no safety. It was one of the darkest chapters of my life. To survive, I fled to Birao in the Central African Republic, where a new chapter of my journey began.
I lived for two years in Korsi, the refugee neighborhood in Birao. There, I supported myself by opening a small business to trade goods while volunteering both at a health center and a local school. I also completed an online training in community-based social work from a Swiss academy and participated in a global student challenge on improving refugee access to education and vocational training.
Eventually, I was awarded the scholarship funded by the Mastercard Foundation, and travelled to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, to complete an intensive French-language bridging programme to then integrate into the national higher education system at the University of Bangui. I’ve always loved learning languages and am excited to add a new one to my skillset.
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I also found a new joy beyond studying: cycling, my childhood dream, which I was finally able to fulfill here in Bangui. I enjoy cycling around Bangui to explore the city and it helps me relax and clear my mind. I even competed as an athlete in the African Duathlon Championship in Bangui in April 2025.
The experience of being a refugee didn’t just change my location — it transformed my vision of life. It is what inspired me to shift my dream from medicine to public health, because I believe healing whole communities is even more powerful than treating individuals.
Sudanese refugee and DAFI scholar Abdallah Abdelrahman Saleh with his bike in Bangui.
© Ahmed ‘Bouna’ Osman Mohammed Today, I dream of studying public health and working with international humanitarian organizations — not just to earn a living, but to make a difference. One day, I hope to launch my own humanitarian project to serve people like me: refugees, survivors, and dreamers.
I was born on July 6 — but to me, that date is more than a birthday.
It is the annual rebirth of my hope.
Note: The French bridging programme is being implemented by UNHCR’s NGO partners Centre de Support en Santé Internationale (CSSI) and Olivier Homme de Galilee pour le Developpment Sociale, in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education through the Laboratory of Sociolinguistics and Plurilingual Education at the University of Bangui.