I'm accepted, I need your help to realize my dream

My name is NEYA Dolores Yeda. I am 22 years old, and I am a graduate of Computer Science and Entrepreneurship.

As the oldest of eight brothers and sisters, I quickly learned to take responsibility. But I also saw that stemming from Boromo, a small town in Burkina Faso, presents challenges, and that it therefore is necessary to take ownership of one’s own future. Since I was young, it has been my goal to work for a brighter future for me and my family. It was to fulfill this wish that I successfully took the entrance exam to the most prestigious school in the country, the Prytanée Militaire du Kadiogo (PMK).

Luckily, attendance at this school is totally free as all admitted students receive a scholarship. After my A-Level degree I decided to enroll in a program in Computer Science at the Burkina Institute of Technology. As this field is still largely dominated by male students, I once again chose to take on this new challenge. To this day, I am glad I did as I love the subject and it has become my passion. Once again, I received a partial scholarship that allowed me to finish my degree.

At university, I started participating in women's empowerment sessions because I was eager to do something for the emancipation of women in my country. The culture of excellence gave me the great honor of being selected for an exchange semester in Austria during where I studied international management in a program with students from dozens of countries. I got to know new cultures and it allowed me to lift the veil on certain prejudices concerning other cultures. I was amazed to see the lifestyle of others. It is very fascinating to share culture and to let others know about yours. With my courses in management, I expanded my knowledge further, and it allowed me to develop and improve my bachelor project on educational robotics. I understood that solving a problem requires to take many different perspectives into account such as the needs of the stakeholders.

Thanks to my semester abroad, I also realized that continuing my studies in this country would be of great benefit to me. I was able to see that the quality of education and the work environment provide an ideal framework that can allow me to be competitive in the job market. During my short stay, I was able to familiarize myself with the German language and the Austrian school environment.

After graduating with my Bachelor's degree, I worked hard to raise the necessary funds for my new goal, the Master's degree. Meanwhile, I did two internships at Cognos International and Laafi-Express. During my various internships I had the chance to put my management and programming knowledge into practice. At Cognos International I learned about project management. I got to know all the steps to follow to set up a project from the beginning to the end. I learned to manage a team and to listen to each other's concerns. I have improved in the management of myself and others.

At Laafi-Express I mainly focused on programming web applications but beyond that I decided to develop my communication skills, I started to share what I learned in management with my colleagues. All these experiences made me discover the professional life

After the internships, I took time to reflect and now I know even more where I want to go. Being a person who likes to take initiative and be creative, I have embarked on the realization of many projects such as the creation of robotics kits for children, or building mobile applications for the awareness of young girls. I am very motivated for the development of education in my country because I embrace the idea of Nelson Mandela who said ‘’Education is the most powerful weapon; we can use to change the world.’’ For me the people to focus on are children and women. Children are the ones whose minds are open to change and exploration, and women in my country are the ones who have the most influence over children. However, in order to achieve these goals, I need to sharpen my knowledge further and be able to undertake sustainable realization of these goals. I want to be among those who bring change to their nations. And I want to achieve this by using technology. To be among the women who have revolutionized the world through technology. My next step is the master’s Degree. To educate others you must have a solid education yourself.

I have been admitted to Mater' Degree in interaction Design at Fh Joanneum for the winter semester.

So, I look to you with hope, while hoping to get your support.

I want to make my dream of continuing my education a reality and this is why I ask for your support which means everything to me!