My name is Timotheus Iivula and a few years ago, I had the privilege of living a dream:

I was studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of York in the UK, something I had worked for my entire life. I had a scholarship, I was thriving academically, and I was full of hope.

But life changed.

In 2024, I lost my mother. That moment, and everything that followed broke me in ways I didn’t know possible. I had to leave the UK, withdraw from university, and return to Southern Africa. With no financial support, no safety net, and very little left of the world I had built, I felt like the dream was over.

But I never stopped believing that one day I would return. That I would finish what I started.

And now, after months of working and fighting for a second chance, the University of York has formally reinstated me to resume my degree this September 2025. They believe in me enough to bring me back. They’ve even allowed me to pay off my outstanding debt through a payment plan that commences in October 2025 (a month after I've started classes), this clears one of the biggest barriers.

Now, I just need help crossing the final stretch.

I’m raising funds to cover the UK student visa, healthcare surcharge, a flight, and basic living costs for my first weeks back. The total comes to around £2,000–£2,300. These aren’t extras, they are the bare minimum I need to make it back and stand on my own again.

This isn’t just about me getting a degree.

I’m the first in my family to ever make it this far. And despite everything, they’re still waiting on me, to succeed, to build something stable, to come back and give them the life they’ve never had. This degree is more than a piece of paper. It’s my way forward, and theirs too.

So I’m asking, with humility and all the hope I have left:

If you believe in second chances, if you understand what it’s like to hold onto a dream when everything falls apart, please consider supporting me.

Even a small donation, or simply sharing this story, could be the reason I make it back.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for being the kind of person who lifts others when it matters most.

With all my heart,

Timotheus Iivula