“When they assigned me a teaching position it was hard because all my dreams were shattered,” he says.
In 2018, a peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia opened the border and Nahom seized the opportunity to escape. He believed that in Ethiopia he would be able to continue his studies—“The field of computers is always evolving: it doesn’t stop because you learned it once”—and have greater access to the internet and new technology than in his repressive home country. But being a refugee and lacking basic paperwork meant it was difficult. “There are many obstacles,” he says.
The frustration grew because Nahom felt strongly that, “Getting educated is the most important thing you can do.”
“Education broadens knowledge and increases your potential. Your thinking is not only expanded by education: it broadens your horizons and opens up opportunities.”
In Ethiopia, Nahom enrolled in online courses, working alone to keep himself busy and increase his knowledge, until a friend alerted him to scholarship programme called University Corridors for Refugees (UNICORE). UNICORE is promoted by 32 Italian universities, supported by the Italian government and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and enables refugee students to study in Europe.
Nahom applied and was amazed to be accepted, despite not having a passport and only having formal academic qualifications from Eritrea. “I will never forget that day,” he says. “I was so happy the day I got the email saying I had won the UNICORE scholarship. I realised it would change my life and open a big door.”
He is now studying computer engineering, cyber security and artificial intelligence at the University of Cagliari in Sardinia, a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, west of the mainland. “Now that I am here in Italy, I am so close to fulfilling my dream, but there is still a lot to do. I’m not there yet!”
Having reached Italy by a safe and legal route, Nahom is free to stay and study, while the scholarship covers his fees and other costs, meaning he can live “without any hardship”, unlike those who travel irregularly.
Nahom’s hope is to complete his studies and then, like others in Eritrea’s large diaspora, find a way to contribute to his community back home. “If I achieve my goals, I believe I will have played my part,” he says. “Others will study in their fields, and together we can make a big difference for the future of our country.”
He misses his family but is convinced the sacrifice will be worth it and says the difficulty of being apart is eased by the support they have given him. “When your family and friends all believe in you and are on your side, it is easier to make your dream come true,” he says.
