Call for Applications: Refugee-Led Organizations: Increasing Access to Higher Education for Refugee and Displaced young people in Nairobi and other urban centres in Kenya

Terms of Reference 

Position Location :  Nairobi, Kenya

Duration of Contract : 2 years

Reports To : DREEM Higher Education Inclusion Manager, Pan- Africa

Expected Start Date :September 2026

Overview of WUSC 

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organisation, driving positive education and economic change for young people around the world. Our vision is a world where every young person thrives and belongs. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to fulfil their aspirations and create their own futures. To help achieve this goal, we develop initiatives that: deliver lasting, measurable impact; are powered by partnerships across the globe; stay true to our core programming principles; and respond to the priorities and aspirations of the people with whom we work. WUSC is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and has offices across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Background:

Project Overview:

The DREEM project serves to provide technical assistance to the Mastercard Foundation and its partners on the inclusion of refugee and displaced (RDP) young people. As part of the Mastercard Foundation's commitment to expanding educational opportunities for RDP youth and as part of the Foundation’s efforts to work with refugee-led organisations (RLOs), WUSC is scaling its partnerships with RLOs under DREEM to support outreach efforts for higher education.

Definition of RLO

For this Terms of Reference, the term RLO as defined by Mastercard Foundation refers to an organisation led by people with lived experience of displacement, including refugees, IDPs, returnees, asylum seekers, and host communities. To qualify as an RLO, the organization must have: 

•  at least two RDP in senior management (e.g., CEO, CFO, COO) 
• or alternatively, a Board with at least 50% RDP representation.

The "University Now" Initiative:

This initiative was piloted successfully in Kenya under the first phase of the DREEM project. Building on this success, the initiative is now being launched as a multi-country model to bridge the gap between talented RDP youth and higher education institutions. Over the next five years, “University Now” will continue scaling its impact within Kenya and expanding to other countries to create a sustainable, RLO-led recruitment pathway.

Under the DREEM 2030 project, WUSC is inviting urban-based RLOs only in Kenya to submit proposals and join an existing cohort of Kakuma and Dadaab-based RLOs. These RLOs will drive the development and lead key project activities to create a sustainable and scalable outreach model. The initiative aims to support RLOs to lead and implement outreach activities that connect young RDPs to higher education opportunities offered through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and beyond. At the end of the funding cycle, University Now will have an RLO-determined and market-stable approach to funding the mechanism. 

Objectives of the Partnership: 

Through this initiative, selected RLOs will:

• Enhance their organisational capacity: through capacity strengthening sessions, guided peer-to-peer learning and support, RLOs will strengthen their organisational capacity and leadership skills to serve their communities, access funding, and become more sustainable.
• Build Networks and Collaborate: Establish and strengthen relationships with other RLOs, universities, schools, and stakeholders within the country and across the ecosystem to reach more RDPs. By growing these networks, RLOs will expand their capacity to connect students to education opportunities.
• Share Information and Resources: Foster mutual growth by sharing ideas, resources, and funding opportunities with peers, beneficiaries, and stakeholders. RLOs will build on existing efforts and avoid duplication, ensuring more efficient and impactful collaboration.
• Promote higher education opportunities among refugee and displaced youth in Kenya: Develop and execute a plan to disseminate information to peers, beneficiaries, and stakeholders across urban areas and information settlements within Kenya, including but not limited to Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Mombasa. This will enhance the visibility of educational opportunities and the role of RLOs in creating lasting change.
• Increase access to higher education opportunities for RDPs by offering application support services, including but not limited to: access to the internet, application guidance, and pre-departure support. 
• Create a sustainable RLO-led outreach model: Co-create and implement a scalable, sustainable outreach model for connecting refugee youth to higher education, in partnership with WUSC and other key actors. The model will combine specialised knowledge of RDP displacement and higher education access processes with a unified governance framework for the RLO consortium and a viable Go-to-Market strategy. 

Scope of Work: 

1. Outreach & Information Sharing
   1. Design and execute outreach campaigns using contextually relevant methods (eg. mix of digital and physical as needed)
   2. Analyse the barriers to access for marginalised groups such as young women and persons with disabilities, and create targeted strategies to reach them. 
   3. Translate and adapt scholarship information into locally accessible formats. 
2. Application Support & Peer Mentorship
   1. Establish and manage application hubs where students will receive hands-on help with their university applications.
   2. Recruit, train, and supervise at least 5 peer-to-peer advisors, manage their workflows, and monitor their quality of advice.
3. Consortium Building & Sustainability
   1. Actively co-design with other RLOs, the University Now consortium charter and governance framework
   2. Actively co-design with other RLOs, a market-stable approach to funding the consortium
   3. Contribute to a shared central resource “library” that will archive all training materials, partnership management trackers, and lessons learned documents to preserve institutional knowledge. 
4. Organisational Strengthening & Technical Assistance
   1. Establish a direct communication channel with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Partners and their recruitment teams to ensure real-time updates on admissions processes. 
   2. Participate in technical assistance support sessions provided by WUSC
   3. Maintain dedicated financial reports and share them monthly with WUSC to ensure 100% compliance. 
   4. Share evidence-based monthly activity reports with WUSC, highlighting impact and lessons learned, including what worked and what didn’t.

Roles and Responsibilities

Refugee-Led Organisations: 

• Recruit, train, and supervise at least 5 RDP peer-to-peer advisors, manage their workflows, and monitor their quality of advice and accuracy of reports.
• Serve as the contact between the community and Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program university partners. RLOs will attend university-specific briefings and then translate the information and convey it to the community in an accessible language and format. 
• Provide a physical space that is accessible and safe for young people to access laptops and the internet for applications. 
• Design and implement targeted outreach strategies for marginalised groups such as young women, single mothers, and persons with disabilities, ensuring their inclusion in education opportunities by meeting the overall targets of 70% women reach and at least 10% for persons with disabilities. 
• Contribute to the development of promotional materials (e.g., posters, flyers) and launch information campaigns through announcements and digital platforms (e.g., WhatsApp) to promote events and opportunities and ensure widespread dissemination of information to target communities.
• Collect, consolidate, and share the experiences, gaps and barriers to accessing higher education for refugees and displaced people in different settlements or geographic areas.
• Assign a senior lead to regularly attend and actively participate in the consortium steering committee meetings, providing input, feedback, and guidance to ensure effective project implementation and decision-making.
• Coordinate, organise, and lead settlement/thematic working group meetings to collect input from representatives and stakeholders from their respective geographic area (i.e. Kakuma/Kalobeyei, Dadaab, or Nairobi) 
• Appoint a senior lead to co-draft the consortium governance framework and leadership succession plan. 
• Actively contribute to the development of a market-stable financial strategy 
• Organise and/or participate in workshops and training sessions, including capacity-building on topics like digital skills, financial management and accounting, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), program and fund development, and other NGO management skills.
• Expand and maintain a network of RLOs across Kenya, fostering collaboration between settlements and enabling knowledge sharing and resource exchange on key topics such as higher education opportunities.
• Contribute to reviewing the monitoring and evaluation plan and help refine project activities based on feedback and progress reports.
• Maintain clear trackers and records of activities and costs in line with project requirements to ensure timely financial and monitoring reports. 

WUSC:  

• Design and deploy tools such as the Due Diligence and Capacity Assessment Tool to assess RLO organisation strengths and opportunities for strengthening in finance, HR, policy and governance, organisational development, etc. and offer tailored training modules.
• Offer funding, mentorship, and coaching to RLOs, enhancing their capacity in leadership, outreach, and project execution.
• Support RLOs to secure digital infrastructure to report data while ensuring data privacy and security. 
• Provide operational & technical support to the RLO leads, facilitating smooth implementation and reporting processes. 
• Formally introduce and connect the Kenya RLO consortium with the broader Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Network, as well as other actors in the higher education landscape, including UNHCR, and support RLOs to build independently strong relationships within the ecosystem. 
• Deliver technical assistance in developing outreach strategies, project and fund management, and program design to ensure the effective engagement of target communities.
• Support the development and strengthening of safeguarding policies within RLO partner structures where applicable. 
• Deliver technical assistance and facilitation in the structural formation of the University Now Consortium. 
• Provide technical assistance in go-to-market modelling and offer financial sustainability coaching to help RLOs identify diverse funding streams beyond the grant. 
• Monitor project activities and expenses, provide support to ensure they align with the stated objectives, track progress, and make adjustments as needed.

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables

Overall Project Strategic Outcome (all countries)

• By December 2030, University Now will have supported 2,000 RDP youth (aged 18 -35, at least 70% young women, inclusive of persons with disabilities) to access higher education opportunities across DREEM 2030 target geographies through peer-to-peer advising and community-based application support. 

Intermediate Outcomes

• RLOs demonstrate increased capacity to design, implement, and sustain initiatives that improve education access for RDP youth
• 5 Peer to Peer advisors per RLO will receive DREEM training and mentorship to support RDP youth access to higher education.  
• Improved social cohesion between RDP youth and the host community youth;
• RLOs operate as centralized hubs that provide access to reliable higher education information, resources, and enrollment support for RDP youth and host community youth.  (e.g.  an ecosystem of actors providing education & transition opportunities to RDP youth and host community youth);
• Strengthened relations between RLOs and higher education stakeholders (e.g., universities, UNHCR, NGOs, other RLOs, Secondary Education Actors, Private Sector)
• RLOs achieve long-term institutional stability and continue operating sustainably after the WUSC funding cycle ends.

Project Deliverables: 

The following outlines the key deliverables that all participating partners must achieve. These deliverables represent responsibilities across the project, with each partner contributing to the successful completion of these objectives. Collaboration and coordination among partners will be crucial in ensuring the overall success of the project and meeting the set targets. 

• A detailed monitoring and evaluation plan, framing key performance indicators, outlining expected outcomes, and highlighting data collection tools. 
• A detailed 24-month work plan. Include outreach strategies and materials for marginalised groups such as young women, single mothers, and people with disabilities, and pilot activities for each location 
• An updated database of RLOs across all implementing geographic location, capturing contact information, expertise, and capacity. 
• A detailed training plan and materials for onboarding RLOs and peer-to-peer advisors
• Documentation of workshops and training sessions conducted for RLOs and peer-to-peer advisors, including participant feedback and key topics covered.
• Monthly financial reports with reports and supporting documents in line with project guidelines, detailing expenditures related to project activities.
• Monthly progress reports on activities, outreach efforts, stakeholder engagement, and milestones, including key metrics.
•  Submit quarterly impact briefs including number of unique RDP youth reached (disaggregated by gender, disability & refugee status; number of scholarship applications submitted; partnerships formed; highlighting case studies, lessons learned and barriers encountered to inform project strategic direction.
• A final report summarising outcomes, challenges, and sustainability plans.
• The RLO consortium (University Now)  transition and sustainability charter, including: 
  • A service blueprint (a detailed “how-to” guide for outreach and application processes) outlining how the outreach models run without WUSC intervention.
  • A viable go-to-market strategy identifying up to 3 non-WUSC funding sources or revenue models to sustain the consortium. 
  • A unified consortium governance framework outlining decision-making, conflict resolution, and shared resource management for the participating RLOs. 
• A final handover protocol signed by the consortium and WUSC detailing long-term governance of the consortium after the funding cycle. 

Duration and Timeline: The Initiative is designed for a minimum engagement of 2 years, commencing in September 2026. 

Accountability and Compliance: 

Selected RLOs and Peer Advisors must comply with WUSC’s operational standards. Key requirements include:

• Adherence to all legal, financial, and ethical transparency guidelines.
• Absolute zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, and
• Mandatory signing of the formal WUSC Code of Conduct by all RLOs and peer advisors.

WUSC reserves the right to terminate partnerships in cases of non-compliance.

Qualification & Readiness Criteria

Eligible RLOs must meet the following criteria: 

• Be an RLO (refer to definition of RLO in the Background Section), legally registered, actively operating in Kenya for the last 3 years, serving youth aged 18 to 35 years. 
• RLOs led by women, youth, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 
• Must have a physical space that is accessible and safe for young people to access laptops and the internet for applications.
• Present a clear and detailed profile of the organisation’s operations and thematic areas of operation.
• Demonstrate understanding of or interest in improving access to higher education opportunities and disseminating information about educational opportunities to refugee and host communities;
• Demonstrate commitment to learning and flexibility in programming and operations to commit to genuine change. 
• Demonstrate evidence of having managed and implemented donor-funded projects for at least one year with a budget of USD 2,000 and above;
• Show commitment to and understanding of how to take a “do no harm” approach to promote safety, security, and inclusivity; 
• Have sound anti-discrimination principles and codes of conduct, or a commitment to developing and adopting them. 
• Have the ability and commitment to collaborate with multiple stakeholders and peer organisations. 
• Possess strong trusting networks and relationships within the community and relevant sectors. 
• Have experience in designing or implementing programs that address the needs of girls, women, or other marginalised populations. 

Application Process: 

Interested RLOs are encouraged to submit their duly completed proposal by 11 PM(EAT) on Sunday, August 9th   2026. 

1. The RLO must submit an individual budget up to 40,000USD. You must use this downloadable budget template Include: -
   1. Personnel costs, 
   2. Direct implementation costs, 
   3. Equipment, and 
   4. Administrative costs (must not exceed 10% of total budget)
      
2. The RLO must submit an individual 24 months workplan. You must use this downloadable workplan template

As part of your application, you will be required to submit the following documents. Please note that not having any of these documents will not disqualify you, but rather will help WUSC know which areas of capacity strengthening will be most needed.  

• A copy of your official registration.
• A chart showing your current staff and leadership structure & the board membership. Include profiles for all senior leadership positions and the board: where profiles include;
  • Name
  • Gender
  • Nationality
  • Residency Status
• A copy of your most recent or previous audit report, or financial reports for the last 2 years. 
• Copies of your current manuals or policies for the following areas:
  • Finance and Procurement
  • Human Resources
  • Code of Conduct
  • Child Protection Policy or something similar
  • Whistle-blowing Policy  or something similar
  • Anti-fraud Policy  or something similar