Refugee Week 2021: Student who fled his home a decade ago excels at USW

Coming to the UK completely alone as a frightened 16-year-old in 2009, Gbren Okmal had fled his home country of Chad and left behind all that he knew – which meant starting his education all over again.

But, more than a decade on, the 28-year-old, who lives in Cardiff, has graduated from the University of South Wales (USW) and has completed his Masters in Cyber Security.

Gbren was supported through his studies thanks to a Care Leavers bursary, and his Masters course was funded by the USW Sanctuary Scholarship. Each year, USW offers two Masters level Sanctuary Scholarships to people forced to seek safety in Wales.

“I left Chad when the civil war was at its worst in 2008, and I travelled to Sudan, then Saudi Arabia, before finally arriving in London,” said Gbren, who suffers from PTSD as a result of his experiences in his home country.

“My mum died and my dad disappeared. My brother and sister ran away at the same time as me, but I still don’t know where they are.

“I spent a week or two in London before moving to Cardiff in May 2009. I was supported by Social Services at the time because I was under 18, so they helped find me a place to live and apply to college.”

Without any formal qualifications, Gbren enrolled at Cardiff and Vale, where he studied Maths, English and Computing, before studying a National Diploma and BTEC at Coleg Gwent in Newport, then applied to USW.

“I really enjoyed Computing and knew I wanted to study ICT at university, and I’d been told about USW offering a Sanctuary Scholarship for refugees,” he said.

“It was a big jump going from college to university, and I had lots of challenges to overcome. But I’ve had so much support from USW. I would go to the library every day to study, and anything I needed, I knew I could ask the Student Wellbeing team or my lecturers. They have been incredible.

“Achieving my degree was the best day of my life. Thinking back to when I first arrived in the UK and how scared I was, I’m very proud of how far I have come.”

After graduating, the USW Sanctuary Scholarship enabled Gbren to go straight on to a Masters at USW, which he is about to complete. He now hopes to pursue a career in Cyber Security and perhaps even undertake a PhD in the future.

Like many others seeking asylum, Gbren has tried his hardest to contribute to his community. Since living in Cardiff, he has volunteered at Oxfam shops and as a library assistant at Cardiff Library, as well as helping to re-design the NHS Wales website at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I was happy to be doing something good for society,” said Gbren.

“I feel that the UK is my home. Everyone has been so welcoming to me. Chad is not safe to return to yet, but I’m hoping that will change one day.

“Being awarded the USW Sanctuary Scholarship has given me this wonderful opportunity to succeed, and I am so grateful. People like me, who have had to flee their home country, may not be able to continue with education, but support such as this gives them the chance to move forward with their new lives in the UK.”

Mike Chick, USW Refugee Champion, said: “Gbren’s history, while painfully tragic, is also testament to his courage and resilience. As employees at USW we already know how empowering education can be. For people like Gbren, escaping persecution or danger, facing an uncertain future in a new country, the importance of university study is literally life changing.

“The USW Scholarship Schemes for people seeking sanctuary in Wales have meant that over a dozen people fleeing conflict have been able to access our degree courses since 2018. Many colleagues at the university have worked hard to ensure that USW keeps its University of Sanctuary status and to support sanctuary scholars during their studies. I am certain they will be happy to hear of Gbren’s success and we all wish him well for his future – in Wales!”

For more information on the University of South Wales Sanctuary Scheme, Mike Chick and Dr Cath Camps, Academic Manager (Curriculum Design) are this week launching a report into University support for people seeking sanctuary, which can be found here.

USW is hosting a wide range of online events during Refugee Week (14-18 June 2021). For more details and links to register are available here.