A Bright Future for Bright! (University Year 2)

Hello everyone! An entire year has passed and I'm here to raise money for Bright's university tuition again - Year 2! I believe strongly in the power of education. The opportunity to go to university & study computer science is already changing the course of Bright's life & opening doors for him that would otherwise be closed. I want to be a part of his journey & success, and if I've learned anything from last years fundraising, it's that at least 18 other people do, too! That is incredible! Last year I was amazed at everyone's generosity. I truly had no idea what to expect & when we hit our goal within a week I was blown away. Together we made Bright's future a whole lot brighter & I hope we can do it again for Year 2. I trust that we can!

(Above picture: Screenshot of a WhatApp message from Bright.)

(Above pictures: Bright at Copperbelt University, Zambia. He is studying computer science.)

Here's the backstory: I met Bright roughly 5 years ago on my first trip to Lusaka, Zambia. He was a teenage volunteer with an organization called Hope for One that I had just started working with. I've been back to Zambia several times since that first trip, each time connecting again with Bright because he always attended & assisted with the trainings I was leading. I remember during lunch one time we sat together & I asked him about his plans & dreams for his life. He said he wanted to go on to university & study computer science. He said he'd take his high school studies seriously & sure enough he did. He kept me updated via WhatsApp, sending texts & pictures of his progress.

(Above picture: I took this picture during our lunch break during training in 2018 or so. This was the first time I remember talking to Bright about his desire to study computer science.)

(Above picture: Bright doing a demonstration during a training workshop.)

When it came time for Bright to apply to university that's when we got down to the nitty gritty details: the money to cover tuition. It just wasn't there. In my heart I wanted to promise to cover it all, but I knew that wasn't something I could do. So I committed to do the thing I knew I could do: set up a GoFundMe each year & ask my friends, relatives, neighbors & acquaintances to chip in together & cover the tuition fees. So here I am doing it again! I'm asking for your help & generosity.

My ask: This year I'm hoping to cover tuition & accommodations (cuz life is expensive & this will help a lot) for the Bright's 2nd year of university:

Tuition = 32,948K

Accommodations = 12,000K

Total = 44,948K // $2,929.68CAD (I've rounded it up to an even $3,000CAD)

(Above picture: Screenshot of my currency converter app, September 19th.)

*I will cover the costs for the Western Union transfer & any fees associated with GoFundMe. I believe in transparency & being a trustworthy person, so once everything is sent I will post screenshots on my Instagram & Facebook account, showing that Bright received all of the funds & of course paid his tuition with them.

On a personal note: for years when I worked in New York, making very little money, I experienced the generosity of people giving to me. It was often random, and sometimes I didn't even know the person! But other people's support in money & words went a long way & encouraged me a lot. It often met unseen needs at just the right time. It was often an answer to a prayer to cover something I needed, or even just a blessing to provide me with a little bit extra or something special I couldn't have gotten for myself. My hope is that Bright can experience that same kind of thing, too. A community of generous & loving strangers, coming alongside him, encouraging him to succeed & being a blessing in his life. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Thanks so much for giving your money, your generosity is very much appreciated.

Thanks so much,

Abby

(Above picture: Bright receiving his trainer training certificate.)