Fundraising for a Kyrgyz student to study at UWC

National Committee of UWC in Kyrgyz Republic is responsible for selecting students to represent the country at the 17 colleges of UWC around the globe.

For 2018, the National Committee of Kyrgyzstan was given two scholarships - one is partially funded, and another is fully funded. Two brave students were chosen at the end of three stages of the selection that included essay writing, interview, subjects tests, team work and psychological tests.

Our goal is to raise 4000€ for our first student to study at UWC Southern Africa.

Here is her story ⤵️

My name is Orungul Sagynbaeva. I am 17 years old, and I live in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The reason why I’m writing here is that I need your help to make my dream come true, which is to receive world class education and in the long term help my country.
For almost my entire life, I grew up with my grandmother, younger brother and cousins in Kyrgyzstan. My mother works in Moscow as a waitress; whereas, my father passed away. Furthermore, I faced challenges like parents divorce, constant changes of place of living and living far away from my mother.
Given that I was the eldest child in the family I deduced that I have to be the leader of the family and am the family’s best chance to improve our situation. I knew that education is the most effective way to do that. Consequently, I prepared for 3 months to get a scholarship at “Aichurok”, one of the best schools in Kyrgyzstan, and I was one of 2% of all admitted students who got 50% discount and the only one to qualify for it for the past four years. Since then, my perspective on life has completely transformed. I learned that I need to set bolder goals and I can help not only my family but my country also.
I have been trying to do my best at school. I had an almost perfect GPA for the past 4 years. However, I realized that to be a genuine leader of community, and be a change maker, academic excellence just by itself is insufficient. I have gotten involved in extra-curricular activities. For instance, I took part in International Festival of Language and Culture in Sydney Opera House as a dancer, won several cups and medals in debate tournaments and city-country olympiads, organized charity organizations for orphan children and became a prime minister of the school parliament. I think I might have overstreched myself but I really enjoyed doing a lot and was exploring my potential. Additionally, I worked as a nanny to help to pay for groceries and family expenses.
I realize that I have become more  independent and responsible. Being involved in many extra-curricular activities made me empathetic, social and organized. All these qualities helped me during the selection process for UWC.
In 2017 Kyrgyz Republic joined the UWC movement, which is a movement that makes education a force to unite people and cultures for peace and sustainable future. Every year students from 159 countries are being selected to study at 17 UWC schools around the globe. I was one of two lucky students form Kyrgyzstan who were chosen to study at UWC schools. Starting in January 2019 I will be attending UWCSA Waterford Kamhlaba that is located in Swaziland. It’s a great honor for me to be the first Kyrgyz student to study at that school. The tuition fee plus extra costs like flight tickets, pocket money is about 21000 Euros. The school provided a scholarship of 9500€,and the National Committee of Kyrgyz Republic raised 4500€. My mother will contribute 3000€. I still have a 4000€ funding gap.
Please help me to cover this gap. Any amount donated will mean so much for me ,and it will help a lot. The costs are pretty expensive for my family. I think, financial problem is not a reason to give up on something very essential as education. I appeal to you and I  hope that everything will work out.


Thank you!

Orungul Sagynbaeva