Sudan: ‘It made me dream again’: The students refusing to let war stop their education

August 10, 2026 - 04:08

Sarah Tekhlu had nearly lost hope of ever finishing her degree. An Eritrean refugee, she was forced to flee Khartoum to Madani, and then again to Port Sudan, as the conflict spread across the country. At that point, she figured a university education was a dream she simply could not hold onto anymore.

But a small group of volunteer teachers and students in Port Sudan changed her mind. They set up informal classes in a borrowed building, using whatever materials they could find. Sarah joined a computer science course there. "It made me dream again," she said. "For the first time in months, I felt like I had a future."

Across Sudan, thousands of students have been cut off from schools and universities since fighting broke out in April. Many have lost their homes, their documents, and their sense of normalcy. But in response, a quiet movement has emerged. Students and teachers are organizing makeshift classrooms in shelters, community centers, and even under trees. They share photocopied notes, teach each other through phone apps, and hold study groups whenever the security situation allows.

The effort is not just about academics. For many, it is a way to reclaim a piece of their identity. "When I am studying, I am not just a displaced person," said one student in Wad Madani. "I am a student again."

The volunteers face huge challenges. There is little funding, no official support, and constant danger. Yet they keep going. One organizer put it simply: "We cannot let the war steal our minds too."