​The Dreams of Hafsa, Dikonzo and Lea
After the refugee life lived by Hafsa, Dikonzo and Lea, now they have arrived in Italy and Bocconi through the Unicore project, University Corridors for Refugees, carried out with UNHCR. From here forward they can study and realize their dreams, and those of their families, thanks to the support of Bocconi and the more than 800 donors who made it possible to establish the scholarships in memory of Luca Attanasio. This distinguished alumnus and ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo was victim of an ambush in Kibumba on 22 February 2021 ( his person and his experience will be remembered in the event organized by Bocconi Students for Diplomacy and International Cooperation and Res Ethica on Monday 20 February at 6 pm).
"The investment in my education is not only about me, but also about my family, my community, my country and the whole world. I believe that completing my studies at Bocconi will make me a hero in my family", says Dikonzo Akili, from Concole, who after living for 12 years in a refugee camp in Malawi with his family is now attending the Master of Science in Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations. Nelson Mandela once said, 'I dream of a place where all people of all races work together in harmony.' I'm living and experiencing that place here at Bocconi."
Because of the civil war, the parents of Hafsa Nagawa, now a student of the Master of Science in Marketing Management, fled their countries (her mother is Rwandan while her father is from Burundi) to Tanzania, where Hafsa was born, and then to a refugee camp in Mozambique, where Hafsa managed to graduate by studying in the evening and working during the day to help the family. "I am really grateful to Bocconi and to those who are helping to finance my studies: you are helping me to realize my dream."
The dream of Lea Christine Itumu Kikora, a Congolese who has lived as a refugee in Cameroon all her life, is to become an entrepreneur and engage in humanitarian activities: "not only because I know how it feels to be vulnerable, but also because of the pleasure it gives you when you are able to help someone. This scholarship, continues Lea, who after graduating in civil engineering now attends Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations at Bocconi, "is a great opportunity to build a brighter future. The fact that someone has decided to support our studies means bringing light and hope to so many families."
The stories of Hafsa, Dikonzo and Lea are added to those of Matthias Georges Benoiton, born in Mozambique in 2002, in the second year of the Bachelor in Business Administration and Management, and Jessica Obi Kalu, Nigerian, enrolled in the second year of the Integrated Master in Law. They are also beneficiaries of scholarships in memory of Luca Attanasio who with his commitment as a diplomat and in humanitarian projects for African civil society always tried to contribute to "redesigning the world", as he said in October 2020 when he was awarded the Nassiriya International Peace Prize.