Help Awadalla go to school in Glasgow

I believe in community. This is why I reach out to you. I have a dream and I hope you could help me realize it.

My name is Ahmed Awadalla, a writer and mental and sexual health practitioner. I am a sex educator and counselor. For more than a decade I worked with the most marginalized communities in Egypt and Germany; young people, refugees, and LGBTIQ communities. In Berlin, I worked for over 5 years with the Berliner Aids Hilfe and Checkpoint BLN providing counseling and support around mental and sexual health.

I believe in being there for people when nobody else would. I believe in amplifying perspectives and knowledge coming from the margins of society.

I have a long journey in health activism. When I was 21, I finished a bachelor's degree in pharmacy. I was soon disillusioned by the work with pharmaceutical companies and decided to dedicate myself to community health. For over a decade, I achieved many breakthroughs in community support, advocacy for the rights of the communities I represent (LGBTIQ people, youth, asylum seekers, and refugees) at local and international levels, and publishing relevant research and writing. I was invited to speak at major events at the UN and International AIDS conferences.

In 2014, I was forced to leave Egypt for Germany because of my work and who I am. That was a traumatic experience, however, I quickly rebuilt my life and career and I continued my mission in Berlin, providing crucial services and information to queer refugees and migrants in their language with a culturally sensitive approach.

I always dreamed of having an academic degree, but I couldn't achieve this for various reasons, mostly financial barriers. I applied for different programs in Germany but was sadly rejected for unexplained reasons, despite my long work experience and multilingual skills. I am glad that I was accepted into a master's program in Glasgow and feel that this is exactly the right time to continue my mission and jumpstart my community engagement.

I am asking for your support with the tuition fees. I will try to take care of the living expenses in Glasgow by getting a side job while I am studying. I know that tuition fees are a large sum and a lot of people need money for other pressing needs, but I still want to do my best and try to reach my dream.