Four Years. One Breakthrough. Germany Awaits.

For years, Christine Ayen and Awein Lina lived in uncertainty, their dreams of higher education put on hold. Today, that waiting has ended.

Through the Malengo Uganda–Germany Program, and with support from Finn Church Aid (FCA) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the two sisters are now preparing to travel to Germany to pursue degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

“This is a dream come true for us,” Ayen says. “After everything, we finally have a chance to continue our education.”

The South Sudanese refugee sisters, living in Kampala, Uganda had always been high-performing students. But financial hardship nearly forced them to abandon their ambitions.

Interrupted Dreams

Coming from a family of ten, education was never guaranteed. Their father, once a teacher and government worker and now a farmer, struggled to support them.

In 2016, just before they completed Senior four, he lost his job.

“We had worked so hard, but suddenly everything stopped,” Lina recalls.

Although they sat their exams, their results were withheld by the school due to unpaid school fees, preventing them from progressing.

“That was the first time we felt completely stuck,” Ayen adds.

After a year at home, their parents cleared the balance, allowing them to join Trinity Senior Secondary School in Entebbe. They completed A-Level in 2019, excelling in science subjects.

Four Years of Uncertainty

But university remained out of reach.

“We stayed home for years, applying again and again,” Lina says. “At some point, we lost hope.”

Rejections from multiple scholarship programs turned one year into four.

“We started asking ourselves what we could do with our lives,” Ayen adds.

A Turning Point

Their breakthrough came through the Malengo scholarship, shared with them by their elder sister during her internship with FCA under the Complementary Pathways Program.

“She encouraged us to try again,” Ayen says. “This time, it changed everything.”

With support from UNHCR and FCA, including guidance through the application process and pre-departure preparations, the sisters secured scholarships to study in Germany.

“When we got the news, it didn’t feel real,” Lina says. “After four years of waiting, this was our second chance.”

Breaking Barriers in STEM

Ayen will pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, while Lina will study Artificial Intelligence at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.

Their ambitions go beyond personal success.

“STEM is often seen as a male field,” Lina says. “We want to prove that girls, including refugees, can succeed and thrive in these areas.”

“It’s not about gender,” Ayen adds. “It’s about determination.”

A Message of Hope

As they begin this new chapter, their message to other young refugees is:

“Don’t give up on education,” Lina says.

“Even when it feels impossible, keep going,” Ayen adds. “Your chance will come.”

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Text and Image: Rose Madot / FCA