Fundraiser for Clyd's Graduate Education at Harvard 2025

Hello, my name is Clyd, a recent graduate of the 2-year Research Master program at the Faculty of Theology and Religion, Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium. With background studies in philosophy, Christian spirituality, catholic theological ethics, and comparative anthropology, I specialize on moral theory of care and plan to focus further on gerontology and the praxis of care for the elderly.

Last 10 March 2025 and much to my surprise, I got officially accepted at the Harvard University's MDiv Program for 2025-2026. Although Harvard gave me a generous scholarship package, it does not cover all the other living expenses-related costs. To make it to the program, I would need help from friends like you to gather at least US $12,000-15,000.00, if not the original amount gap of US $22,000.00. Although feeling shy and unsure, I am nevertheless taking the courage to risk and give this a try.

Under Harvard University's MDiv program, I shall pursue an interdisciplinary theological research on the intersection of Aging Society, Eldercare Ethics, Catholic Religious Imagination, and Critical Theory. My research will analyze and critically evaluate the moral experiences and aspirations of physically handicapped Filipino elderly and their attending family caregivers. More concretely, the MDiv project will identify and examine ethical issues and power-relations in family eldercare dynamics, the older persons' psycho-social and pastoral-spiritual needs, and perceived structural-institutional deficits and gaps that the elderly and caregivers experience in current institutionalized social welfare services, programs, and public policies.

My choice of topic was originally inspired by a weekly private, informal cleaning and caregiving student-volunteer work for a 92-year-old Belgian woman. She now lives alone in an apartment, and her last relative, her 88-year-old sister, passed away last year. Although mentally lucid and sharp, her periodic experience of a sense of social isolation, loneliness, and anxiety take a toll on her overall health. So, she could not hide how excitedly and cheerfully she looks forward to my weekly visits, where I'd spend an additional hour or so for more personal conversations and caring accompaniment with her. This experience highlights the importance of a person's relational dignity, the value of an intentionally caring presence and accompaniment, and the need for society to rethink the way eldercare system is operated in a manner that goes beyond the merely economic (material) and medicalized (geriatric) forms and logics of eldercare. Many older adults personally prefer to "age in place" and desire loving connections, a continued sense of personal agency and identity, and some caring and dignity-affirming conversations, where they recover and feel their sense of being human and person. This is true particularly for those elderly who no longer have families to care for them at the more advanced and vulnerable phase of their lives.

By 2030, the country is forecasted to become "an aging society", as 7% of its total population will be 60-65 years old and above. Thus, the ultimate objective of my theological research is to help the Philippines, its relevant government agencies, and partner stakeholders like the Catholic Church and other NGOs to integrate and improve the overall response to the socio-structural, ethical, and pastoral challenges posed by an aging population. Filipino elderly persons continue to desire and deserve a safe, healthy, and meaningful company and a truly dignifying eldercare in family settings. They will certainly need 'intentionally caring' families, communities, and social structures.

To realize this MDiv project at Harvard, however, I shall need your support. I count on your help to make it there this coming school year 2025-2026. Prayers always certainly count. But so does any amount!

A successful fundraising project would mean I could make it to Harvard Divinity School by early or mid-August 2025. But, as we all know, an adequate and bank-certified funding is a major pre-requisite for the visa application. I am hoping you can help me in this regard.

Thank you very much for taking time to read this appeal post, for your trust and your generosity!

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If you have questions about my research project, suggestions on where I could receive further help, or logistical/practical concerns about sending your donations, please feel free to contact me via the messaging platform.

My contact number and email address have been intentionally hidden/removed by gofundme.com to prevent phishing and/or scams. Thank you for your understanding.