From Education to a Career: A Young Refugee Seizes an Opportunity in Cairo

CWS is proud to partner with St. Andrew’s Refugee Services, or StARS, in Egypt. StARS is a refugee-led organization that helps refugees in Cairo find safe places to live, put food on the table, finish their educations, access medical or psychological care, pursue careers and navigate legal processes. In honor of World Refugee Day, meet Haben, a former StARS client who is now on their staff team.

“Life would have been very challenging if I had not known StARS,” Haben says.

They say the ones who succeed in life are the ones who encounter the most difficult situations. Being an unaccompanied refugee child in Egypt has never been easy. When you do not speak Arabic and face many challenges, it all stands in the way of starting a new life of safety and prosperity.

Haben has encountered these challenges alone before getting to know StARS as a client. Instead of assisting him once, the StARS team recommended that Haben get an opportunity to join the StARS Unaccompanied Youth Education program and become a student. Haben seized the opportunity to grow and develop for six months.

After completing his studies at StARS, Haben started working as a teacher assistant in the same program, supporting other children and youth follow the path towards self-development. That moment was life changing for Haben, as it helped him grow and improve his skills.

“Working at StARS diverse environment helps me overcome the language barrier and develop my skills like communication, computer, and administrative tasks. This opportunity has prepared me to engage and learn in my current role as a Community Outreach Trainee Officer. StARS is a home to many displaced people, a school to learn, a family to love, a place to meet different people, a workplace to get experience and income.”

All that refugees need is an opportunity to flourish and succeed in safe environments vital to sustain their lives and practice their rights.