20/06/2026
A Refugee's Dream: A Voice for Rohingya Students on World Refugee Day 2026
My name is Nurul Amin and today I speak not only for myself but for thousands of Rohingya refugee students whose voices often go unheard.
I was only 12 years old and studying in Grade 6 when my family was forced to flee Myanmar. We did not leave our homeland by choice. Violence, persecution and fear pushed us from the place we called home. Overnight, our classrooms disappeared, our futures became uncertain and we began a new life as refugees.
Years have passed, yet the challenges remain immense.
In the refugee camps, life is a daily struggle. Families face food shortages, limited opportunities, overcrowded shelters and growing uncertainty about the future. For young people, the situation is especially difficult. Many of us have dreams, talents and ambitions but we lack the opportunities needed to transform those dreams into reality.
Education remains our greatest challenge.
A generation of Rohingya children is growing up without access to formal and accredited education. Many students study with limited learning materials, inadequate facilities and few opportunities for practical learning or higher education. Beyond education, opportunities for professional skills development and personal growth are also extremely limited.
Yet despite these obstacles, we refuse to surrender our hope.
After years of disruption, I continued my studies through learning centers and tuition classes in the refugee camp. There were many moments when the path seemed impossible. Nevertheless, with determination, perseverance, and faith in Allah, I completed Grade 12 during the 2024โ2025 academic year.
My achievement is not only my own. It represents the resilience of thousands of Rohingya students who continue to learn under difficult circumstances. Every student in the camps carries a dream. Some dream of becoming teachers. Others dream of becoming doctors, engineers, humanitarian workers, or leaders who can serve their communities. These dreams deserve a chance.
On this World Refugee Day, 20 June 2026, we make a humble but urgent appeal to UNHCR, humanitarian organizations, governments, donors and the international community:
Do not let an entire generation be defined by displacement.
Invest in our education. Expand access to formal schooling. Create pathways to higher education. Provide skills training and opportunities for young refugees to develop their potential.
We are not asking for sympathy alone. We are asking for opportunity.
Education is more than a classroom. It is dignity. It is empowerment. It is the bridge between survival and a brighter future.
Today, on behalf of Rohingya refugee students, I stand with hope in my heart and a dream for my people. We may be refugees, but we are also students, future professionals, future leaders and future builders of peace.
Do not forget us. Stand with us. Invest in our future.
Because when a refugee child receives an education, hope becomes stronger than displacement, and dreams become stronger than borders.
