Refugees International Welcomes 2025 Refugee Fellows
Refugees International is proud to welcome six new fellows as part of its 2025 Refugee Fellows Program. The fellows joining Refugees International have each demonstrated outstanding leadership and a strong commitment to advocating for their communities. They have been selected for their track records driving positive change and their unwavering dedication to addressing the unique challenges facing displaced people.
Here are the 2025 fellows:
Hanin Ahmed is a 2025 fellow in Refugees International’s Refugee Fellows Program. She currently works as the external relations officer for Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), advocating for the ERRS and other mutual aid groups. In the early days of Sudan’s crisis, Hanin established the Old Omdurman Emergency Room, providing critical aid in food, medicine, GBV support, and evacuation services. Earlier, Hanin co-founded Ashum Altta Initiative.
Kauther Alhusainy is a 2025 fellow in Refugees International’s Refugee Fellows Program. She has worked across legal, humanitarian, and policy settings with organisations including UN Women, UNICEF, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and has held fellowships with Statefree e.V. and Humanity in Action. Her legal advocacy focuses on the racialised impacts of European migration and citizenship regimes.
Kinda Hawasli is a 2025 fellow in Refugees International’s Refugee Fellows Program. She is also the Social Unit Manager at the Syrian Dialogue Centre, a leading political and social think tank based in Türkiye, and Co-Founder of the AlSalam Institute for Women’s Studies (SWS)—the first Syrian think tank established and led by female experts.
Jorge Hurtado is a 2025 fellow in Refugees International’s Refugee Fellows Program. He is a Nicaraguan journalist and television presenter for France 24, reporting on migration and solutions journalism in Latin America. Through his podcast El Extranjero, Jorge explores the human impact of displacement and critically examines shifts in migration policy across the region.
Ismail Hussein Ismail (Ismail Saxafi) is a 2025 fellow in Refugees International’s Refugee Fellows Program. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Aider Refugee Initiative, where he leads policy-driven programs focused on refugee empowerment, youth inclusion, and child protection. His work advocates for refugee-led solutions and champions the full implementation of Uganda’s Refugee Act—especially the right to work.
Abongdoh Maluyane Titus is a 2025 fellow in Refugees International’s Refugee Fellows Program and a social innovator and education advocate from Cameroon. Titus founded e-Mentor, an award-winning digital learning platform that uses immersive virtual reality to deliver quality STEM education to displaced and refugee students in remote regions.
“At a time when refugee leadership is more critical than ever, this cohort brings both heart and strategy to the work ahead,” said Refugees International’s Director for Refugee Leadership and Partnerships Hourie Tafech. “Through this fellowship, we are proud to amplify the advocacy of these six leaders and walk alongside them as partners in the broader movement for refugee inclusion.”
Every year, Refugees International receives numerous applications for this program from refugee leaders doing remarkable work around the world—including more than 1,000 applications this year. That speaks to the growing demand for spaces that invest in refugee advocates. We remain committed to expanding this program so more refugee leaders have the support they need to lead global change.
Refugees International’s 2024 fellows will join the Fellows Alumni Network, a dynamic community designed to sustain and deepen the connections formed during Refugee International’s Refugee Fellows Program.
Refugees International’s Refugee Fellows Program works to enhance the expertise of refugee leaders in global advocacy through comprehensive training, networking, and professional development opportunities. Fellows work closely with Refugees International staff members who support them in achieving their advocacy goals. Fellows also contribute to shaping the institution’s global advocacy priorities and enriching its organizational expertise.
Refugees International would like to thank the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for their generous support that has made this program possible.
For more information, contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.
Featured Image: A collage of headshots of Refugees International’s 2025 Refugee Fellows.