Kenya’s Refugee Youth Education Hub listed for Global EdTech prize

Abdullahi Mire, the CEO of RYEH Digital Innovation Hub, engages youths at the Dadaab refugee camp. Photo: Handout

Refugee Youth Education Hub (RYEH), a non-profit organization running education programs for displaced communities in Kenya, is among the finalists in the 2026 Global EdTech prize.

The organization, which works towards advancing education, livelihoods, protection, and long-term solutions for displaced youth and communities in Kenya, was recognised for innovative solutions in education.

RYEH was recognized among non-profits that are tackling education challenges “with purpose, creativity and determination to make opportunities more accessible.”

The global prize is part of T4 Education, a platform that brings together a community of over 200,000 teachers from more than 100 countries to transform education.

Vikas Pota, the CEO of T4 Education, says the 2026 Global Prize recognized stakeholders using technology to make a real difference to teachers and learners.

“Together, they represent some of the most interesting work happening in EdTech today,” Pota said of the 30 finalists for the 2026 EdTech prize.

EdTech also recognizes the finalists’ roles in supporting displaced and underserved learners and rethinking assessment, literacy, personalized learning, and the role of AI in Education.

As a finalist, RYEH will, in January 2027, attend the World Schools Summit, where they are expected to showcase their innovation before leading experts and the educators whose classrooms their tool may transform.

Abdullahi Mire, the CEO of RYEH Digital Innovation Hub, termed the shortlisting an honour to represent the world's most marginalized community, refugees and their hosts.

“What keeps me awake is getting the right gadgets, right skills for refugee students to be at par with the rest of the world,” he said.

The RYEH CEO further painted a picture of technological gaps in refugee camps, which are now struggling to meet other basic needs due to aid cuts and shrinking donor funding.

“They may not be having priviledges of good internet or power connection, but my goal is for them to be at par with other students who have those priviledges. Despite them being refugees, marginalised communities or victims of war,” Mire said on the T4 Education podcast.

"Through the RYEH Digital Innovation Hub, young people are gaining digital skills, confidence, and new pathways to opportunity. I am incredibly proud to witness this journey and to be part of a movement that continues to open doors and change lives,” said Anne Wanjiku Thuku, Partnerships & Fundraising Lead at RYEH.

At the World Schools Summit, RYEH and other finalists will showcase their work before an Expert Panel comprising leading figures in the technology and education sectors, including global investors and policymakers.

The Expert Panel will then narrow down to the final 3 per category, who will present their products and tools before educators at the World Schools Summit.

Educators will vote by secret ballot to determine the winner of each category, and the winners will be announced live on stage at the culmination of the summit.