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Help Maryam get her Master's Degree

My name is Maryam Laly. I am an Afghan woman residing in the Washington, D.C. area. I’ve worked with several organizations dedicated to gender equality and development around the world and specifically in Afghanistan since I was sixteen. I was recently accepted to a university in Berlin. Unfortunately, I have only been awarded 25% tuition waiver and I am responsible for the rest of the cost so I’m reaching out to my friends and compassionate people around the world to lend a helping hand.

In addition to giving me an incredible educational opportunity, attending this university will allow me to be closer to my family and my mother to live with me. Because we are both refugees in two different lands and oceans apart from each other, I have not lived with my mother since I was sixteen years old. In fact, I’ve only seen her twice. Her deteriorating health has made living apart difficult and at times unbearable. I’ll be forever grateful for your help in making my higher education in Berlin happen and I will pay it forward by supporting other disadvantaged youth. 

More about me:

I was born during the civil war in Afghanistan. My father was a tinsmith who never had the opportunity to get an education. My mother was a nurse and midwife. We became internally displaced when I was barely two months old. In 1996 when the Taliban took over Afghanistan, my family fled to Iran and later to Pakistan. My father was unable to find employment and my mother became our sole breadwinner. She worked as a nurse in a clinic, helping refugees and locals. We lived in poverty, but my parents worked hard to ensure we received an education. After school, my two siblings and I weaved carpets to supplement the costs of rent and utilities at home. In 2003, my family returned to Kabul. My father died shortly after our arrival. After his passing, my mother worked day and night shifts at a private clinic in Kabul to make sure my siblings and I could attend school.

In 2007, when I was a 9th grader, I was accepted to the Youth, Exchange and Study (YES) program. I was one of 38 students accepted from among 3,000 applicants from across Afghanistan. The program allowed me to study in the US for a year. It changed my life. After the program completion, I returned to Afghanistan and was able to get a job. I started working as the first female employee at a newly built hospital in Kabul. It was an incredible opportunity that gave me the chance to support my family.

In 2009, I was given yet another opportunity to further my education. Through a foundation in Vermont, I was given a two-year scholarship to finish high school in the United States. When I graduated high school, I applied and was accepted to St. Lawrence University in New York. The university provided me with full four-year scholarship. 

With deteriorating security in Afghanistan, my family advised me against returning home. I had no home to return to. In 2013, my family sought refuge in Europe. My mother is no longer able to work due to her deteriorating health and age. Currently, I am fully responsible for my own expenses in addition to providing support to my mother and occasionally to my immediate family members. Unfortunately, they will not be able to financially support my educational pursuit.

My mother, brother, and I at the airport in Germany. I met them here after six years! 

The Costs:
Please see below for a breakdown of the costs:

Full Tuition for two-years: 25,162.60 Euros ($30,903.45) 
Living Expenses for two years: 25,622.00 Euros ($31,467.66)
Round Trip fare (once a year to maintain immigration status in the United States): 3,500.00 Euros ($4,298.52)
Total estimated income through a two-year contract: 29,238.48 Euros ($35,909.24)
Personal savings: $5,760.00
Total needed: $25,000.00
 
Thank you for spreading the word and supporting me in reaching my goal. If you would like to know more about me and my work in education and women's rights, please see my LinkedIn profile  and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.
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    Organiser

    Maryam Laly
    Organiser
    Washington D.C., DC

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