ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis University attracts students from around the world to its campuses in St. Louis and Madrid. Beginning in 2024, the global Billiken community began to include students in refugee camps in Kenya and Malawi. 

The Saint Louis University-Jesuit Worldwide Learning (SLU-JWL) program offers remote bachelor's degrees to international students displaced by conflict, lack of opportunity, and poverty in places such as refugee camps in Kenya and Malawi. Currently, there are 59 SLU-JWL students across refugee camps in Kenya and Malawi.

SLU-JWL program director Patricia Bass, Ph.D., and program coordinator Eboni Chism, Ph.D., visited the SLU students in the camps in May. The two-week trip, sponsored by Jesuit Worldwide Learning, offered Bass and Chism the opportunity to meet with the students in person and hear about their successes and struggles.

One student, Dictor Olame, reflected on his experience as a SLU student in the Kakuma refugee camp in North-Western Kenya. He is originally from Sudan, a country that has not witnessed peace since its independence in 1956.

“I have lived in Kakuma for nine years now, struggling with the life challenges of the camp, such as frequent muggings of individuals walking alone, little access to fresh food, and long walks to access safe drinking water. The average temperature in Kakuma is 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), and it is hot and dry both day and night. 
 
My journey to becoming a SLU student began the first time I came to Kakuma in 2016. When I arrived, I was filled with hope and confusion. The camp was busy, filled with people from countless nations, all united by the opportunities and dreams that grow in areas free from the wars, crises, or airplane bombardments of our home countries. On the one hand, I witnessed the increasing demand for food and other basic needs by the growing population of the camp. On the other hand, pleasant opportunities with kind people from many languages and cultures opened my eyes to diversity. All of this has been a big part of my education. 

When I learned about the SLU-JWL program in 2023, just after my high school graduation, I saw it as a great opportunity.”

In return for this opportunity, I look forward to sharing my own gifts and talents with the SLU community. 

Dictor Olame

JWL students begin their time at SLU with 30 credits already completed through either Creighton University or Xavier Institute of Management in India’s one-year certificate program. Once enrolled, they are full-time remote students with access to all forms of SLU support, including identification cards and online library resources. SLU-JWL students will graduate with a B.A. in General Studies through the School for Professional Studies.

“It took hard work for me to obtain the prerequisites for this program, but my resilience and determination were due to the fact that the opportunity matched my dream career in Cyber Security, which I had always considered impossible due to my circumstances.  
 
In return for this opportunity, I look forward to sharing my own gifts and talents with the SLU community. I am more than just a refugee; I am also the founder of a small graphic design initiative, a web developer, and an assistant for students with disabilities at Humanity & Inclusion. I trained at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE). I started my own graphic design non-profit, Douglas Graphics, to educate youth about the basics of graphic design and to create certificates and social media posts for local educational opportunities. While I initially developed my graphic design and coding skills with a remote course with Saint Joseph University in Bangalore, India, I look forward to deepening these skills at SLU and using them for the benefit of my community even more. 
 
Despite being far away from campus, I would like to become further involved in SLU by inspiring others to succeed in academics despite the challenges they face. More concretely, I would like to share my experiences and knowledge by writing for the student newspaper, joining virtual forums, and connecting with other on-campus Sudanese students to create a support group for refugees. 
 
Since starting my courses at SLU this spring, I have learned to speak up and share ideas with others, and I have felt heard and valued. One of the most impactful experiences was when my Cura Personalis Instructor gave me personal feedback on my first essay. This made me feel valued and inspired me to say I could do better. Eventually, I envision working as a network administrator and ethical leader by using cybersecurity and other skills learned from this B.A. in General Studies to advocate for technological solutions to the pressing problems of my community. 

My first term as a SLU student in Kakuma has been full of learning, growth, and connections. I have become more than just a student; I have become a leader in my own way. I’ve learned to value people, education, and service. I hope that my story shows others that even in a refugee camp, it is possible to dream, to grow, and to succeed. Education has given me purpose, and I want others to believe in their own potential, too. This can’t happen if we can’t seize the available opportunities that will take us closer to our goals.”

Olame and the members of his cohort are on track to graduate from SLU in the summer 2027.

RELATED NEWS - SLU Jesuit Visits Students in Kenya

In February, the SLU-JWL program was awarded a 2025 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization by NAFSA: Association of International Education. 

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic research institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,300 students a rigorous, transformative education that challenges and prepares them to make the world a better place. As a nationally recognized leader in research and innovation, SLU is an R1 research university, advancing groundbreaking, life-changing discoveries that promote the greater good.