Excellence in Action: The Story of Elishammah Nyaba as he begins graduate studies at the University of Cambridge, UK

Open Dreams Scholar, Elishammah Nyaba, has now comfortably settled at the University of Cambridge, where the next chapter of his stellar academic journey is unfolding.

Special Family Moments at the Airport (The Audacity of Hope)

Back in 2019, Elishammah stood out as the only student in his Open Dreams Summer Academy cohort to achieve 25 points in the Arts at the GCE Advanced Level. This rare academic accomplishment earned him admission to the American University of Beirut (AUB) through one of our most fruitful partnerships: the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at the African Leadership Academy in South Africa. His undergraduate journey at AUB further broadened his horizons, taking him to Canada for a full semester exchange program.

Elishammah with other MasterCard Foundation Scholars at Cambridge

Fast forward to 2025, before leaving Cameroon for the UK a few days back, Elishammah dedicated the entire summer to giving back, creating a resounding impact within the Open Dreams Ecosystem. He served, for weeks, as a Program Facilitator at the Open Dreams Summer Academy, #ODSA2025, in three different towns of Cameroon, viz: Bamenda, Douala, and Yaoundé. He was also one of the most strategic panelists and VIPs at the Open Dreams Graduate Summit, #ODGS2025 in Yaoundé - the most remarkable graduate summit in the history of Open Dreams.

Elishammah delivering lessons as a Program Facilitator at the Open Dreams Summer Academy in Bamenda, the place where his journey to the world started when the Anglophone crisis was already raging.

Elishammah further lent his voice to advocacy, featuring in a video that appeals to consciences to do all it takes for students in the North West and South West Region of Cameroon to be able to have unrestricted access to education, in the midst of the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, ranked by the Norwegian Refugee Council as one of the most neglected crises in the world.

The Nyaba family counts 3 accomplished Open Dreams Scholars

Having studied Business Administration at AUB, Elishammah is now embarking on a Master’s Degree in Development Studies at the prestigious Cambridge University under the MasterCard Foundation sponsorship. Elishammah has clinched two MasterCard Foundation Sponsorships for studies. Elishammah thus embodies the Open Dreams spirit: passion in the pursuit of excellence and a deep commitment to community impact. His journey is a shining example of how education, when coupled with opportunity, can transform lives and inspire many.

Elishammah at Cambridge

In most of his outings, the statement, "I believe in the Open Dreams mission and its transformative potential," is recurrent. He is an example of everything Open Dreams in accomplishment. Besides, he is in the footsteps of her elder sister, Peace Nyaba - an Open Dreams Scholar who also earned two MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program awards. It is her voice that weaves its way through the very first recording of the Open Dreams Anthem.

The Voices of the Unheard Malalas

Elishammah at the Open Dreams Graduate Summit in Yaounde

A panel consisting of Toulack Kingsley (Chevening), Joyce Ngaha (AfOx, MCF Oxford), Elishammah, and moderated by Dr. Letitia Ababoh at the Open Dreams Graduate Summit, Yaoundé

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The Open Dreams Team