I'm Neida, and I just graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master of Science in history. I wrote my dissertation on the illegal slave trade between Mozambique and Brazil, a connection that hasn't been studied or written about as widely as it should be.

My student visa was set to expire before my own graduation ceremony, and this community stepped in to help me secure a Graduate visa in time. I walked across the stage on July 1 because of the people who gave here. Thank you.

Now I'm turning to what that visa made possible: staying in the UK to keep building toward a PhD in this field.

The sources I need most are close at hand: the National Archives in London and the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh both hold material central to this research. But the fuller story lives further afield, in the archives of Lisbon and Maputo, where the primary sources at the heart of this project are waiting to be found. Getting there entails booking flights, archival access and time on the ground. This is the next real barrier between me and a completed PhD application backed by original research.

This fundraiser now goes toward:

* Research trips to Lisbon and Maputo to access primary source archives

* Continued work in the National Archives (London) and National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh)

* Costs associated with building a strong, research-backed PhD application

Any amount helps move this work forward. And if you can't give, sharing this fundraiser matters just as much — most of the support I've received so far has come through someone else's share, reaching people I never could have reached on my own.

Thank you for being part of a history that's finally getting told.

Neida

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### A note on this fundraiser's history

This fundraiser started in 2024 to help me get to the UK for grad school. Thanks to everyone who gave then, I made it here and finished my degree. In June 2026, I hit a new hurdle — my visa was set to expire before my graduation ceremony — and this community helped me clear it. I've since walked across that stage.

I've updated the story above to reflect where I am now. I’m no longer fighting to stay, but working to keep going, toward a PhD. The original fundraiser text is preserved below in full, so you can see the whole arc of this, whether you've been here since day one or you're just finding it now.

*original fundraiser text*

Hello, my name is Neida Mbuia Joao and I am soon to be matriculating at the prestigious University of Edinburgh to further my education. I intend to study the history of slavery, drawing a novel connection between the illegal slave trade in Mozambique and Brazil. I am seeking support in order to pay for some of the costs that come along with attending a graduate program abroad.

The intention of this fundraiser is to fill the gap that student loans and scholarships were not able to.

The money donated will be used to cover the following costs associated with my program but not directly covered by my financial aid package:

Donations made above the goal amount will be used on day-to-day expenses (like feeding myself) while working on my graduate degree.

Any amount that you are able to donate will be endlessly appreciated. If you're unable to contribute, sharing this with friends and family will go very far in helping support me as well. Thank you for taking the time to read this!