Help Asiya help others
Can you help me help Asiya help others?
Hi, my name is Shamangi Kooistra, I am 45 years old and I am from The Netherlands. I work for the TU Delft, organising activities and events for the TU Delft community. Earlier this year I was setting up a program to facilitate students in helping their peers during the pandemic, when I met 22 year old Asiya. When I was her age I had to put my dreams on hold because I had to work in order to have a roof over my head, like many people. Asiya is in the same situation but there is a big difference. I had dreams, but she in fact already found her purpose and knows what to do. Her drive is strong and her determination is inspiring, yet she is very humble.
While we worked on our project she told me she had been accepted to the Law in Society program at VU but had no money to pay her tuition. I asked her how much it was and she said it was about 2000 euro per year. I offered to pay her tuition money and I had zero intention to share this with the rest of the world.
So why I am sharing this now? You may have heard about something called Brexit, which makes her a non EU member and quadruples the tuition fee. I wish I could pay that as well, but I am self employed and the corona crisis affected my income badly. She is currently working 3 jobs and I am juggling 4 jobs (that I absolutely love). We decided to call out for help.
This is Asiya’s story in her own words: “I spent the past three years studying Computer Science at my parents insistence at TU Delft. My grades were high, and even worked as a software developer for two years, but I got no joy out of it, since I've always had an urge to be actively helping out those around me. In my second year at Delft I got selected to lead the team for Energy for Refugees, a non-profit organisation which aims to provide clean energy to refugee camps around the world. I spent a year working with refugee camps in Greece and Nigeria, and it further hammered into me how great the need for humanitarian help was. I decided to transfer completely there, and I applied to law school and got accepted into the Law in Society program at VU Amsterdam. When my parents found out, they cut me off immediately. Since then, I have been working multiple jobs to try to save up enough to get through the next three years of law. My ambition is very clear. I grew up partially in Pakistan. It’s heartbreaking to see how no one in that society set up can help women who have been through the trauma of sexual abuse. They're ostracised from society. I want to become strong enough to go back one day and start a non-profit which will help bring justice to such women. Meanwhile, till I get there, I'll be actively helping refugees within Europe integrate, since that's another heartbreaking social issue which needs immediate help. The degree at VU is tailored to help develop humanitarian skills, and it would be integral in helping me get to a point where I can start giving back to society.”
Our goal is to raise €27,000 to have her tuition fee covered for these three years so she can focus on studying and working for housing and food. I already donated €2000, so that makes our goal €25,000.
In my case, I found my purpose many years later, after sinking into a major depression for years because I had buried this purpose and neglected my true self. I would like to help prevent her from a similar fate and let her deal with other life struggles instead. ;-)
Thank you for reading this. Asiya and I appreciate all the help we can get!
