Press Release, 29 December 2023
Tasmida Johar, the first woman to become a college graduate from the Rohingya community in India is all set to soar to new heights as she joins a prestigious university in Canada to do her masters in political science.
Tasmida was selected by the Duolingo-UNHCR refugee scholarship program in 2022. She was among their 25 inaugural global scholars. She then secured admission at the Wilfrid Laurier University in Toronto with support from the International Students Overcoming War (ISOW).
Sabber Kyaw Min, the Director of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative which supported Tasmida's journey said, "We celebrate Tasmida's achievement today. Tasmida's journey will inspire several more girls to study and shatter the misconceptions about Rohingyas in the country. We are proud of her".
After completing her 10th grade with support from UNHCR India and its partner Bosco, Tasmida aspired to pursue a medical career. However, her refugee status hindered enrolment in regular institutions. After completing her 12th grade from Jamia (distance), she achieved her bachelor's from the University of Delhi in 2022 as a DAFI scholar. Her story garnered attention from various national and international media outlets.
"We express our gratitude to everyone who has supported Tasmida, especially to the journalists who have been following her when was in school. We thank the Government of India and the generous people here in India for supporting her and providing opportunities which show that refugees are like anyone else in our society", said Sabber.
Best regards
Rohingya Human Rights Initiative (ROHRIngya)