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A Refugee Girl and a Farmer’s Son Just Made It to University. Here’s What Made the Difference.
Talent is not rare in Malawi. What’s rare is the chance to use it.
Across Dzaleka refugee camps and rural farming communities in Malawi, thousands of bright young people watch their futures narrow, not because they lack ability, but because poverty gets there first. School fees go unpaid. Learning materials stay out of reach. And quietly, a young person’s dream dies.
Thorough various donors and partners, There is Hope (TIH) exists to interrupt that story.
Two Students. Two Futures That Almost Never Happened.
Farah Paulo: From Refugee Camp to Malawi University of Science and Technology
For Farah Paulo, growing up in Dzaleka Refugee Camp meant living with uncertainty about the future. Financial struggles at home constantly threatened her education, and university felt like an impossible dream.
Yet with scholarship support from TIH, Farah was able to remain in school at Loyola Jesuit Secondary School, in Kasungu, focus on her studies, and pursue her ambitions with confidence.
Her determination paid off.
Farah scored an impressive 13 points in the 2025 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations and has now been selected to study at the Malawi University of Science and Technology.
“It really means a lot. It is like a dream come true that I never thought would happen because of the situation we had at home,” Farah says. “My family is really happy that their girl child is going to attend tertiary education because of the help from TIH.”
But the impact of Farah’s journey reaches far beyond her own life.
“My educational journey has inspired a lot of people, including myself,” she explains. “I never thought I could become a role model to someone. I now see students in the camp wanting to work harder so they can also pass with flying colours because of my story.”
Farah now dreams of one day opening an orphanage and an elderly home to care for vulnerable people in society.
Her story is a reminder that when you educate one refugee child, you help restore hope to an entire community.
Titus Sosten: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Education
Hundreds of kilometres away, Titus Sosten faced a different but equally difficult struggle.
Raised in a humble family dependent on small-scale farming, Titus grew up watching his parents struggle to balance school fees with daily household needs. As the third born in a family of four children, the pressure on limited family income was enormous.
“Before receiving scholarship support from TIH, my family faced serious financial and educational challenges,” Titus explains. “Paying school fees was extremely difficult because the money my family earned was limited and unstable.”
Like many vulnerable students in Malawi, Titus lived with constant fear that he would fail to complete school because of poverty.
Through support from TIH donors, that reality changed.
The scholarship enabled him to stay in school consistently, access learning materials, and focus on his studies without the burden of financial stress.
“The scholarship helped me focus on my studies without constantly worrying about school fees,” he says.
Titus went on to score 17 points in the 2025 MSCE examinations and has now been selected to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Malawi in Zomba.
For his family, the achievement represents renewed hope for a better future.
“My selection to attend the University of Malawi has brought joy, hope, and confidence to my family,” Titus says. “It has shown them that despite our financial challenges, hard work and support can lead to a better future.”
Today, Titus dreams of building a successful career that will help uplift his family and support his community. He also hopes to mentor young people and encourage them to believe in the power of education.
More Than Scholarships. Transforming Generations.
Farah and Titus come from different backgrounds, but their stories carry the same truth: education changes everything.
A scholarship is not simply financial assistance.
It is a lifeline for a struggling family.
It is confidence for a young person who almost gave up.
It is dignity for parents who want a better future for their children.
It is inspiration for communities where hope is slowly fading.
Today, because of donor support through TIH, twelve vulnerable students are entering university with dreams that once seemed impossible.
But many more students are still waiting.
Across refugee communities and vulnerable households in Malawi, countless bright young people continue to face the risk of dropping out because they cannot afford school fees, learning materials, or tertiary education support.
TIH is calling upon donors, partners, and well-wishers to join this mission of transforming lives through education.
Your support can help another Farah.
Your support can help another Titus.
Your support can help another family break free from hopelessness and poverty.
When you invest in one student, you invest in an entire future.