© UNHCR/Charity Nzomo Nosizi, formerly stateless, Kenya When she entered classes at the University of Nairobi as a first-year economics student in 2020, Nosizi Dube already achieved something unprecedented in Kenya: she was the first Shona woman to reach this level of higher education. Since she was born at home into a Shona family, Nosizi didn’t receive an official birth certificate. This hindered her in many ways as she grew up, and she struggled for placement in classrooms after primary school. She and her mother had to work hard – using a variety of other documents – to keep her education going. “It’s like you are a ghost in the country that you are living in. You don’t exist,” she explained. “My mother is truly my greatest inspiration because she is not easily defeated.” However, Nosizi faced a major roadblock to finishing high school: she needed a birth certificate to register for exams. Fortunately, in 2019 – with support from UNHCR and the Kenya Human Rights Commission – the Government of Kenya issued birth certificates to Shona children for the first time. Furthermore, Nosizi was granted Kenyan nationality in 2020, alongside members of her community. Nosizi was headed to university – a reality that seemed out of reach not long ago. “When I found out that I got into university, it was the most joyful experience of my life. As a stateless girl, it’s been a challenging but great journey to get to where I am,” she said. #IBELONG 15