Coursera for Refugees brings transformational learning to vulnerable populations around the world. Since 2016, the program has brought free access to Coursera’s catalog to more than 11,000 refugee learners. Meet Madiha, an 18-year-old Hazara refugee living in Indonesia. Madiha participates in Coursera for Refugees through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
In her own words, here’s her story:
I was born and raised in Pakistan, but when I was 14 my family and I left in the search of a safe and secure place to live. We are currently waiting to resettle in New Zealand.
For three years, I’ve been a volunteer teacher in a community-based learning center for refugees. I also love to write — writing gives me the freedom to fully express myself without boundaries.
I heard from one of my colleagues about a UNHCR program that gives refugees access to Coursera for free. I applied, and I was accepted. As refugees, we are deprived of basic rights like education. I have missed out on many years of my education, and Coursera gave me the platform to compensate for all those missed years.
I completed the Creative Writing Specialization from Wesleyan University, which helped me improve my writing skills and get one step closer towards my dream of becoming a writer. Coursera doesn’t just help me — it can help all of the other refugees who are living in limbo.