Olive Iragena’s TWEENS Is Fundraising During World Refugee Week (June 16-22)
Olive Iragena is a sophomore at Wilmington College from Burundi and Zimbabwe, Africa. She excels as a biology and chemistry major and already holds student leadership positions at the College. She co-founded a refugee, youth-led organization in Zimbabwe that supports talented and motivated refugees through access to education.
The organization, TWEENS (Together We Educationally Empower Non-privileged Students), empowers these students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to achieve their academic potential and take their education to the next level.
“Imagine being a bright and ambitious young person, full of dreams and potential, but trapped in a refugee camp with limited access to education and resources,” Iragena said. “That was my reality growing up in Tongogara Refugee Camp in Zimbabwe, where there was no electricity, no access to the Internet, no gadgets (laptops and tablets) and limited textbooks and mentorship.”
Education for young girls was even far off the radar of her own, well-meaning family. “My (family’s) conservative culture valued my marriage and invested more in preparing me to be a good wife rather than my education and dreams.”
Refusing to give up, her hard work and determination earned her a scholarship to complete the equivalent of high school grades 11 and 12 at USAP Community School in Zimbabwe. “I believed that education was my key to unlocking a brighter future,” she added.
TWEENS is working to offer basic and advanced-level education to refugee students with limited resources by providing them with comprehensive lessons, resources and national exam preparation. By filling this critical gap, TWEENS is poised to make a transformative impact on the lives of refugee students in the camp.
A class is featured at USAP Community School in Zimbabwe.
“Our project is a beacon of hope, offering a chance for students to overcome the obstacles of displacement and pursue their dreams,” Iragena said. “In a setting where education is a luxury, TWEENS is a shining example of the power of education to transform lives and communities.”
A little bit more about what Olive Iragena has done during the past 10 months at Wilmington College. A Dean’s List student, she is a member of the Honors Program and serves as president of the International Club, a board member of Quaker Activities Council, a student assistant to the Students Affairs Office and dean of students, and an active member of other organizations on campus. Also, she is a research assistant with WAVE, a grant-funded program in which science students regularly take water samples from local waterways. They identify invertebrates and conduct laboratory testing of the water for specific pollutants from adjacent farmland. Ultimately, they will plant buffer crops between the land and streams as a means of mitigating the pollution specific to that waterway.
Iragena feels her success is “bittersweet” since not all of her peers in Zimbabwe have enjoyed the same opportunities.
“I witnessed many young refugees struggling, just like I did,” she said, noting that many lost hope and lacked resources, mentorship and quality education, which have led to high dropout rates and social issues like early teen pregnancies and child marriages. “This experience ignited a passion within me to make a difference. Together with four friends, we founded TWEENS.”
So far, TWEENS has reached more than 1,000 students through awareness campaigns and motivational sessions and has provided personalized tutoring in the homes of young refugees. TWEENS has supported a thriving youth center serving more than 500 high school students. The center offers a comprehensive range of resources, including study space, books, Internet access, laptops, tablets, free tutoring, college application guidance and extracurricular activities like sports, chess and quiz competitions. It’s also funded portable lights for 75 students who otherwise would not be able to study at night.
Seven TWEENS students have secured full scholarships to complete their high school education at USAP Community School, while eight members, including Iragena and fellow WC student Matthew Maramasaka, have earned scholarships to pursue higher education in America. “I’m pursuing my dream career in biology and chemistry at Wilmington College,” she added.
During World Refugee Week, (June 16-22), TWEENS has a goal of raising $10,000 to support refugees via this program. Iragena hopes to raise $1,000 through her advocacy of the program. Donations can be made via their website: Investing in a Brighter Future by Supporting Education and Potential of Young Refugees - GlobalGiving.
“These achievements are a testament to the power of collective action and the impact that can be made when individuals like you invest in the education and future of young refugees,” Iragena said. “Your donation will be a beacon of hope lighting the path to a brighter future for these deserving young individuals.”