On 13th September 2024, ICRMS held and celebrated the graduation ceremony of 49 Afghan refugee students enrolled in a 45-day crash course offered by ICRMS at BUITEMS. The event was moderated by Mr. Kazim, Liaison Officer at ICRMS. The session opened with remarks by Dr. Rahila Umar, Director of ICRMS, congratulating the refugee students on successfully completing their journey at BUITEMS. Following her remarks, Mr. Arkeidy Lebovesky, Senior Protection Associate UNHCR provided his own remarks to the students. The session was also attended by Mr. Jalal Khan Kakar, Assistant Program Officer UNHCR, Ms. Humaira Kareem, External Relations Associate UNHCR and Dara Shikoh, Director ORIC BUITEMS.
Following this, Ms. Nafisa, Program and Research Assistant, gave a brief presentation on the 2024 crash course. The main objective of the crash course was to prepare students for university admission tests. The graduation ceremony marked a milestone in preparing 49 students, among whom 20 were from refugee villages and 30 were from Quetta. The crash course participants included Afghan refugees from Saranan refugee camp, Surkhab refugee camp, Chaghi refugee camp, and Muslim Bagh refugee camp, The remaining 30 Afghan refugees were from urban Quetta. Out of the 49 participants, 19 refugee girls were enrolled in this course. The overall gender breakdown was 60% boys and 40% girls.
The course comprised three fundamental subjects: basic mathematics, information and communication technology, and English comprehension. The crash course students also benefited from skill-building workshops held every Friday, focusing on crucial areas such as video editing, graphic design, content writing, and freelancing, aligning with the goals of self-sufficiency and empowerment within the refugee community. Each instructor conducted mid-term and final examinations to review the progress of the students. After the final examination, ICRMS held its own demo NTS test to check the capability of students appearing in the NTS and other university admission tests. The majority of the students passed the tests. Among them were the top 10 students, who were awarded cash prizes by ICRMS and presented by Mr. Arkeidy Lebovesky. The top students were as follows:
- Altaf Hussain
- Humaira
- Syed Murtaza
- Farzana
- Ahsan Ullah
- Khadija
- Naseema
- Rehana
- Fatima
- Zara
ICRMS also arranged sports matches for the crash course students, including football and cricket matches played between the crash course students, ICRMS team, and BUITEMS students. These activities were very refreshing and enjoyable for the Afghan refugees, who performed well.
The crash course proved beneficial and impactful, not only enabling students to appear for university tests and foster their skills but also providing them with exposure to a university environment, encouraging them to pursue higher education. The course aimed at helping bright refugee students overcome their fear of integration with the host community. It was a transformative journey for the refugee students, encompassing education, capacity-building workshops, and refreshing sports matches. These sentiments were also expressed by the students and teachers in their speeches during the graduation ceremony. According to the teachers, the crash course not only transformed the lives of the refugee students but was also an eye-opening experience for them, as they witnessed many students attending classes at BUITEMS while managing part-time jobs. It was a testament to the resilience of the young refugees.
For the year 2024, 09 students from the crash course have applied for university admission. ICRMS is facilitating these students and others in securing smooth admission at BUITEMS in their desired departments.
At the end of the session, Ms. Humaira Kareem delivered inspiring remarks to the students, followed by closing remarks from Dr. Rahila Umer, encouraging the young souls to achieve their dreams, which cannot be limited by the borders of a nation-state.
The session concluded with the distribution of certificates and goodies by Mr. Dara Shikoh, Director of ORIC BUITEMS, alongside the Director and Manager of ICRMS.
