Ever wondered what it’s like to pursue higher education after being forced to flee your homeland or if you were living in a conflict zone? ‘Higher Ed Voices at the Margins’ dives deep into the inspirational stories of students, graduates, teachers, and other changemakers breaking barriers to higher education for underserved communities. This podcast is powered by Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL), an international NGO providing quality higher education for marginalised communities across the globe. Your host, JWL's Mélodie Honen-Delmar, is also a PhD student at the University of Geneva.
AI as a ‘Saviour’: Supporting Women’s Education in Dzaleka Refugee Camp
How does Artificial Intelligence shape learning when your classroom is a refugee camp and your day is divided between study and motherhood?
In Season 2 of Higher Ed Voices at the Margins, we explore AI through the lived experiences of learners in excluded communities around the world. In this episode, Edith, a student and mother in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, shares why she calls AI a “saviour” – a tool that helps her manage the multitude of challenges and pressure women face while pursuing higher education.
But Edith also raises an important warning: AI must never replace independent thinking. For women especially, education and technology should build autonomy, courage, and the ability to stand on one’s own, rather than create new forms of dependence.
As she shares her story, Edith calls on women to take risks, become role models for their children, and use AI thoughtfully to create better futures for the next generation.
🎧 A powerful reflection on AI, resilience, and women’s empowerment at the margins.
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Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Higher Ed Voices at the Margins podcast host, or those of Jesuit Worldwide Learning’
29 Jan 2026
“AI Is Not a Painkiller: A Critical Voice from Kakuma Refugee Camp
In this episode, Kalo Hissen, a Jesuit Worldwide Learning AI Research Hub researcher and BA in Sustainable Development student, shares a critical refugee perspective on Artificial Intelligence from Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya.
Kalo challenges the idea of AI as a quick ‘painkiller’ for educational problems and warns that “AI will either build you or destroy you”, depending on how it is used. He reflects on how early AI systems failed to recognise Kakuma’s reality, revealed linguistic bias through Swahili translations, and exposed the lack of inclusion of marginalised contexts.
This episode is a call for AI literacy, critical thinking, and responsible use, and reminds us that AI is not a worker or a replacement for thought, but an assistant that should support creativity, learning, and human agency.
Dive deep in a powerful conversation on AI, language, power, and education at the margins!
3 Nov 2025
“AI is Magic”: Intelligent Use of AI for Community Benefits in Kurdistan Region (Iraq)
“AI is magic — but we must learn to use it intelligently.”
In our newest episode of Higher Education: Voices at the Margins, we meet Sultan, a JWL on-site facilitator in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, who shares his reflections on how artificial intelligence can empower learners at the margins.
For Sultan, AI isn’t just a tool. It’s a bridge that connects people across fragile contexts. In Khanke, a community that has suffered genocide, destruction and displacement, technology is helping learners regain access to information and education.
He reminds us that people at the margins also “deserve” access to technology and higher education.
When used mindfully, AI can help students develop their thinking, creativity, and sense of purpose, and even be used for the good of the community.
Listen to Sultan’s inspiring story about how AI can connect, empower, and transform e-learning wherever we are in the world.
1 Sept 2025
Building Machines for Peace: A Girl Engineer in Kakuma on AI for Humanity
In this second episode of our season AI – Realities from the Margins, we meet Grace, an electrical engineer from Kakuma refugee camp, who is reshaping how we think about technology, knowledge, and peace.
Grace reflects on the power of uniting human knowledge with artificial intelligence to create real impact for her community in Kakuma and Kalobeyei, and for her home community in Sudan. She warns against over-reliance on AI, reminding us that true education is about knowledge, emotions, and resilience. “If you depend more on AI,” she says, “it will be a waste of time at university for four years.”
Her message is also a call to action for girls everywhere: never give up on education. Looking ahead fifty years, Grace challenges us to imagine how AI could build not just machines, but machines for peace.
🎧 Tune in and be inspired by Grace’s vision for a future where learning and technology serve humanity.
29 Jul 2025
Rethinking Education in the Age of AI: A Voice from the Margins
“If the world relies only on AI, it means the world is ignoring us — our struggles, our stories, our potential.”
In this powerful opening episode to Higher Ed Voices at the Margins Season 2, Lay Lay, a graduate of the Learning Facilitator programme and teacher in Myanmar, shares her perspective on how education must change in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence — and what’s at stake when the voices, struggles, and knowledge of marginalised communities are ignored.
She calls for a shift in the role of educators, a move beyond textbooks, and the creation of learning systems that reflect all realities — not just the privileged ones. Her voice is a bold reminder that inclusive education starts with listening to those at the margins.
Tune in to Season 2: AI: Realities from the Margins !
14 May 2025
From Refugee to PhD: a Journey of Becoming of a Solutions-Oriented Scholar
Desire is a refugee, an educator, and now a PhD student. Based in Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp, he has moved from being a learner in JWL programs to supporting others as an academic manager and facilitator teacher—all while pursuing his doctorate.
In this episode of Higher Ed Voices at the Margins, Desire shares how education became his lifeline, even in a system where higher education is largely inaccessible to refugees. He challenges the idea that context defines your future, insisting instead that you can be part of the solution.
Desire also highlights the resilience of refugee learners, offering examples of peers who overcame barriers and created meaningful change in their communities. His story is a powerful reminder to keep thinking, keep studying, and keep pushing forward—because education is more than a degree. It’s a lifeline, a catalyst, and a path to change.
7 Mar 2025
The Only Girl in Class: Paving the Way for Others
"I would like to tell every girl out there, don’t be sorry for being born a girl. First of all, be proud of it. It’s not a crime. You are wonderful the way you are," says Sarah.
Sarah is a woman who refused to let her environment define her limits. Married young, a mother, and a refugee, she never gave up on her education. Now, she’s not just learning, she’s leading – mentoring and empowering girls to claim their right to education.
Her story is one of courage, resilience, and unstoppable determination. Want to hear how she’s breaking barriers and creating change?
12 Feb 2025
Learning in Diversity
In Kakuma Refugee Camp, people from over ten nationalities—and countless cultural, religious, and tribal backgrounds—come together, creating a unique and dynamic community. In this episode, Amman, a BA in Sustainable Development student, learning facilitator, and researcher, shares his insights on the rich cultural tapestry of Kakuma. Through his work archiving camp culture, he explores how education fosters connection and understanding across communities. Tune in to discover how learning in diversity builds bridges and strengthens social integration.
10 Dec 2024
The Call of a Forest Guardian
Jason shares his courageous journey as a forest guardian and advocate for Indigenous rights, highlighting the deep connection between sustainability and peace.
28 Nov 2024
Journeying Towards Sustainable Development in a Post-Conflict Setting
Jerome, a BA in Sustainable Development student and On-Site Facilitator in Mannar, Sri Lanka, shares his inspiring story of resilience and hope, highlighting education's transformative power in post-conflict settings.
22 Oct 2024
The Boy Lost in the Forest: A Journey to Hope
“This programme was something that gave me hope... for as long as I don’t stop fighting, there was a chance I would see the light again.”
Maitha, a JWL E-Commerce graduate in Kampala, shares his powerful journey “from a boy lost in a forest” of uncertainty to a man filled with hope and new dreams.
This special episode of Higher Ed Voices at the Margins is powered by the initiative of student volunteers and alumni who wanted to spotlight the success stories of fellow graduates. Following Maitha’s heartfelt story, Kalo Hissen, JWL Alumni Network Moderator, hosts a Q&A session where they delve deeper into Maitha’s experience and the role education played in transforming his life.
To read Maitha's full story, visit this link: https://www.jwl.org/news-media/article/highered-boy-forest-maitha (https://www.jwl.org/news-media/article/highered-boy-forest-maitha)
17 Sept 2024
The Courage to Learn
Meet Wedad, a remarkable maths teacher in Erbil, Iraq. Born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, forced to flee after the war began and start anew in a foreign land, her journey is one of courage, perseverance, an unyielding desire to learn, and highlights the importance of education for refugees and those at the margins.
15 Aug 2024
Spreading Everyday Peace
Discover the inspiring story of Nkembe, affectionately known as "How Are You" in the Dzaleka refugee camp community for his caring leadership. In this episode, learn how a smile and a simple question can foster everyday peace. Tune in to explore Nkembe's 'no rush' approach to life and more!
18 Jul 2024
Teaching Teachers at the Margins
In this episode, Dr Marina Tsoi shares what it takes to be a learning facilitator for students in marginalised communities, and how inspiring and educational it is.
18 Jun 2024
Sustainable Solutions for and by Refugees: Tapping into Connected Learning
In the latest episode of Higher Ed Voices at the Margins, Isaac (Kakuma camp, Kenya) talks about the potential of connected learning as a sustainable solution to increase
access to higher education and build a better future in refugee camps.
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14 May 2024
Learning for Yourself and Others
“There’s education – the only key. It will be our wings to fly away [...] to a better world,” says Olivia, a graduate of the Learning Facilitator programme living in a conflict-affected country. Olivia shares with us what it’s like to study when your community is affected by multiple crises, her journey towards becoming a more effective teacher, and about the potential of higher education to transform communities.
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30 Apr 2024
Education Lights the Way
In the very first episode of Higher Ed Voices at Margins, our new podcast, Consolee shares her experience of growing up in a refugee camp, the barriers women and girls face in pursuing their studies, ways to overcome these challenges, and how education lights the way.
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Reach and audience
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YouTube views
13,911
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
10
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
32
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