One year into their expanded global partnership, UNHCR—the UN Refugee Agency—and TECNO are translating shared commitments into tangible education outcomes for refugee children and young people across Africa. Through sustained investment in primary and higher education, the partnership is supporting access to safer learning environments, helping children remain in school, and contributing to longer‑term pathways toward self‑reliance.
Under the three‑year partnership launched in 2025, UNHCR and TECNO committed to supporting more than 54,000 refugee children through improved access to primary education, alongside 15 refugee scholars through the DAFI (Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative) scholarship program. During the first year, efforts focused on turning these commitments into practical support in refugee‑hosting contexts.
In 2025, the partnership delivered measurable improvements on the ground, particularly in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Support contributed to the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms and water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, helping create safer and more conducive learning environments for refugee children. More than 18,000 learners received essential learning materials, including textbooks and school kits, while targeted financial assistance enabled vulnerable students to enrol in school and continue their education.
For many students, these changes translate into a daily difference in how learning takes place—and whether it does at all. “When it rains, everything gets wet, and sometimes we have to stop classes,” says Irahoze, a refugee student who attended primary school in Tanzania where lessons were once held outdoors. “When the classes can continue, it makes it easier to concentrate and keep going.”
Investments under the partnership have also supported teacher training, school operations, and parent–teacher engagement. These efforts are strengthening education delivery in under‑resourced settings and improving both access to learning and education quality.
Across the education continuum, the UNHCR–TECNO partnership supports both foundational learning and higher‑education pathways. High‑impact primary education initiatives focus on improving learning environments, supporting teachers, and strengthening student retention. In parallel, continued support to the DAFI scholarship program enables refugee youth to access tertiary education and work toward employment and self‑reliance.
For refugee students transitioning to further education, schooling represents more than academic progress. “I am excited and scared at the same time,” says Bisharo Mohamed, a refugee student from Kenya preparing to attend secondary school outside the Dadaab refugee camp for the first time. “I want to do well and make my family proud.”
More broadly, refugee education systems across East Africa—including in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania—continue to face structural pressures linked to displacement, limited infrastructure, and resource constraints. Within this regional context, the partnership contributes to efforts to strengthen foundational learning and create pathways for the three countries, allowing refugee children and young people to continue and progress in their education.
At the tertiary level, the partnership contributes to UNHCR’s global 15by30 target, which aims to increase refugee enrolment in higher education to 15 percent by 2030. Since its inception, the DAFI program has supported more than 27,200 refugee students across 59 countries, with growing graduation and employment outcomes.
As the partnership progresses, UNHCR and TECNO remain focused on adapting support to evolving needs on the ground across Africa—strengthening teaching capacity, improving school infrastructure, and reinforcing links between education and longer‑term self‑reliance for refugee youth.
About TECNO
TECNO is an innovative, AI-driven technology brand with a presence in over 70 markets across five continents. Committed to transforming the digital experience in global emerging markets, TECNO relentlessly pursues the perfect integration of contemporary aesthetic design with the latest technologies and artificial intelligence. It offers a comprehensive ecosystem of AI-powered products, including smartphones, smart wearables, laptops, tablets, smart gaming devices, the HiOS operating system, and smart home products.
About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. The organization delivers life-saving assistance including shelter, food, and water, helps safeguard fundamental human rights, and develops solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future. UNHCR also works to ensure that stateless people are granted nationality.
Feature image © UNHCR / Georgina Goodwin
TEACH is the largest national education publication in Canada. We support good teachers and teaching, and believe in innovation in education.
