Conflict Zone Bursary
The Conflict Zone Bursary fund is a charitable project started by passionate UWE students who found themselves affected by violence in the Gaza strip.
The gift of opportunity
The Bursary will give the gift of opportunity to talented people from war-torn countries by awarding comprehensive scholarships to enable scholars to leave dangerous surroundings behind and travel to study at UWE.
"We aspire to champion the real people behind the politics who are in intolerable situations and experiencing unimaginable suffering. The Conflict Zone Bursary fund has been set up in order to offer these people a way out. We hope the project will run annually to create lasting legacy, offering scholarships to students from war torn countries." UWE student and member of the Conflict Zone Bursary team
Who has benefited so far
20 year old Ahmed Baraka from the war-torn Gaza Strip in Palestine, is the first student to be awarded the Conflict Zone Bursary. Ahmed starts his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering at UWE in September 2012.
Ahmed described the difficulties faced by young people studying in Gaza:
"There is often no light to study in the evenings. With no cooling fans homes are stiflingly hot and it is difficult to sleep. Lack of electricity affects studying and although there is reasonable food supply at the moment, there is often a shortage of gas for cooking".
Ahmed is looking forward to the facilities at UWE and the companionship of fellow students. In the future, he would like to create a Technological and Scientific Research Centre in Gaza.
How you can help
Each bursary costs around £45,000 to fund, which will cover tuition fees, maintenance and accommodation, flights and orientation.
The team need to raise £5,000 in donations in order to release additional funding for the Bursary from the University. Every pound you give will therefore bring the team closer to this goal, and a step closer to profoundly transforming lives.
Page last updated 26 September 2012