Debaba Maarifa

Maarifa’s Journey from Nakivale to Global Advocacy

When (Debaba Maarifa Junior fled the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012, he arrived in Uganda’s Nakivale settlement with little more than a commitment to survive and to serve. Over the next decade, that same place would shape him into a leader. “Nakivale is not just a settlement,” he says. “It’s where I learned to lead, to dream, and to keep hoping for peace and a better future for my country.”

Over the next decade, Maarifa took on roles that placed him close to the concerns of displaced communities - working with humanitarian agencies to support new arrivals, serving in multiple elected leadership positions within Nakivale, and eventually joining the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) under the DREEM project, a Mastercard Foundation–WUSC partnership, implemented by WUSC.

“Being part of the YAC changed everything for me,” he says. It gave him a platform to advocate for displaced youth, influence programming, and feel what so many young refugees long for: to be heard.

“I realized that when we’re included, we don’t just share our challenges. We bring solutions.”

Through his work on the Youth Advisory Committee, Maarifa was introduced to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Before fleeing the DRC, he had begun university and had since applied to numerous scholarships without success, nearly giving up hope. Though he had aged out - eligibility was capped at 29 - he helped advocate for the age limit to be reconsidered, highlighting how displacement often delays access to education. His advocacy helped inform a broader shift across the Foundation, raising the age cap for youth programming to 35. In 2023, he began his degree in International Relations at USIU-Africa in Nairobi, Kenya as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar.

“The scholarship changed everything,” he reflects. “It wasn’t just tuition. It was leadership training, psychosocial support, and a network that believes in us.”

Recently granted resettlement in Canada, Maarifa has paused his studies pending his move, but plans to resume them soon. His purpose, however, remains unchanged. “I carry forward the lessons from DREEM with pride and purpose,” he says. “I want to use my education, voice, and experience to influence refugee policy, support refugee-led organizations, and one day contribute to rebuilding my country.” Rooted in lived experience, his commitment to advancing the rights and inclusion of displaced people is unwavering. “I know what it means to be excluded,” he says. “But I also know that when we’re trusted to lead, we build better futures - not just for ourselves, but for our communities.”