From the Shadows of War to the Halls of Medicine

When the conflict erupted in Khartoum in May 2023, Saja’s life changed in an instant. Only weeks earlier, she had proudly graduated from high school, ranking among the top students in all of Sudan. She had just begun living her dream: enrolling in medical school and imagining her future as a doctor. But the war swept all of that away.

“It wasn’t the lack of electricity, water, or even the scarcity of food that made us leave,” Saja recalls. “It was the day we saw a neighbor our age killed in the street. It was a message that our lives were at risk.”

With little time and no certainty of what awaited them, Saja and her family gathered the essentials and boarded the first bus to Egypt. They left behind their home, their community, and Saja’s long-awaited place at university.

In Cairo, the family settled in the densely populated neighborhood of Faysal, home to thousands of refugees who fled violence with the same hopes and fears. Saja, the second of four siblings, shared the crowded apartment with her older sister, a dentist, and her two younger siblings, who were enrolled in a Sudanese school in Egypt.

The academic year in Egypt was nearly over, leaving Saja unable to join a university. Yet she refused to give up. “I was determined I would sit in medical school the following year,” she says. “I didn’t know how, because my family couldn’t afford the fees. But I had faith.”

While waiting, she began studying first-year medical material on her own, preparing herself for the future she still believed in.

Then, one day, everything changed. A friend came across an online post announcing UNHCR’s university scholarship program. Saja applied immediately. Weeks later, she received the news she had been praying for: she had been accepted.

This opportunity, made possible through the generous support of the Mastercard Foundation, opened a door that had once felt impossibly far. Their investment in refugee education didn’t just transform Saja’s life—it has made the dreams of many displaced young people attainable once again.

“I started seeing my world in colors again,” she says with a smile. “I was taking my first steps toward becoming a doctor—toward becoming someone who saves lives and lends a hand to anyone in need.”

Saja not only completed her first year of medical school; she excelled. She was honored by her faculty for her outstanding academic performance.

Today, she dreams of becoming an interventional radiologist or an emergency physician—fields that speak to her desire to respond quickly, save lives, and bring hope in moments of crisis.

Despite the challenges of displacement, Saja’s commitment to her education and her future has never wavered. She hopes to continue her studies in Egypt and build a career here.

“I want to give back to this country,” she says. “Egypt gave us safety. I want to return that kindness.”

Saja’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and transformation—proof that with support and opportunity, including the crucial backing of partners like the Mastercard Foundation, displaced youth can rebuild their dreams and shape a better future for themselves and their communities.