From refugee camp to Acadia campus – the story of Noor Ahmed

What does it take to pack up your life, leave your loved ones behind and move more than 10,000 kilometres away? For Noor Ahmed (’21), it was the chance to come to Acadia and get a university education.

When Noor and his family fled from civil-war torn Somalia to Kenya in 2006, he never dreamed of going to university. Settling at Dadaab, one of the largest refugee camps in the world, he and his family began to rebuild their lives in a new country.

“Living in Kenya was just supposed to be a layover,” Noor says. “But instead, I found peace and transformation there because it gave me the opportunity to pursue an education at Acadia, one of the best universities in the world.”

Schools in refugee camps are run by agencies and provided to all individuals as a basic necessity. Before coming to Dadaab, Noor had no formal education and had never set foot in a classroom. “Starting school in the camps made me so happy because I had this great passion for learning,” he says. Because Noor knew how to read some names and understood basic information, he was placed in a fifth-grade class.

Grades in school are incredibly important in Dadaab, as they can make the difference between staying in the camp or having the chance to leave and go to university. Agencies like World University Service of Canada (WUSC) provide students with opportunities to get an education at a Canadian university as a Canadian permanent resident through their Student Refugee Program (SRP). “WUSC is a hero in the camp,” Noor says. “Everyone knows about them, and the moment you step into a secondary school you start working toward getting accepted into their program.”

Rigorous application procedure

Once students graduate, they must wait three to five months to receive their final transcripts. At that point, the application for RFP opens and students are able to apply to the highly competitive program. In order to apply, you need at least an average of B+ or higher in all of your courses, and even then your place isn’t guaranteed. The application process is rigorous; students must go through a series of interviews and examinations to determine if they will be given a spot, with the whole process taking about a year to complete. Noor was one of 20 students selected by WUSC out of over 80 applicants. Because the process takes so long, applicants often work to save money before leaving.

Noor worked as a teacher, teaching students math, chemistry, and English, and as a community mobilizer for Kenya Equity in Education Project. “My job was to go around and sensitize the public to support the education of girls. In the community a lot of girls don’t go to school – they stay at home and take care of the family.”

Next steps

WUSC students are matched to programs based on university requirements and interests. However, once the student arrives on campus they have the option to switch programs. “Very few students stay in the same program they are placed in,” says Julie Snair, coordinator of international education at Acadia. “Normally, the students are unaware of all of the programs offered and the potential careers they could have. Once they get here, we sit down and discuss their interests and goals. Often we can find a program that’s the right fit for the student.”

For Noor, that program was computer science. “When I got here, I was enrolled in the nutrition program, but computer science matched my interests better,” he says. Working with Snair, he was able to switch into computer science and came one step closer to becoming a software engineer.

When Noor first arrived in Wolfville, NS, he wasn’t sure he had made the right decision. “It was really hard at first. I missed my family a lot. I used to dream that I was back in Kenya and when I’d wake up, I’d still be at Acadia. I told my family I was going back to Kenya, I didn’t want to be here, but they convinced me to stay.” It took some time, but now, six months into his education, Noor is loving his time here. “Acadia is wonderful. Everyone is so nice and helpful and I am really starting to feel at home.”

Noor plans to stay in Canada once he graduates and pursue a career in software engineering.

About WUSC at Acadia

  • Acadia has sponsored 22 students through WUSC since 1982
  • Students have come from countries including:
    • Ethiopia
    • Sri Lanka
    • Somalia
    • Burundi
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Liberia
    • Afghanistan
    • Democratic Republic of Congo
    • Sudan
  • Tuition Coverage
    • First year – 100 per cent
    • Second year – 75 per cent
    • Third year – 50 per cent
    • Fourth year – 25 per cent
  • Residence and meal plan coverage
    • First year – 100 per cent
    • Second Year – 100 per cent
    • Third year – Residence covered
    • Fourth year – Residence covered
  • All other costs including travel to be covered by the student or through sponsorship
  • Generous sponsors of the WUSC program include:
    • Wolfville Rotary Club
    • Mudcreek Rotary Club
    • Retired Acadia Faculty Association
    • Federation of University Women

For more information about the WUSC program at Acadia, please contact Julie Snair at julie.snair@acadiau.ca.

Go back

 Media Centre  Communications Office

Media Contact

Robyn McBain
Director, Marketing and Communications 902-585-1705