Invest in a Writer's Education

Hello everyone, my name is Najma Sharif Alawi. I'm a culture writer, journalist, and strategist. I have been going back and forth about making this fund but at this point, I'm trying everything I can before the semester begins in two weeks.

I've received a decent scholarship to go towards my tuition but it's not enough because education in this country is ridiculously expensive. If I was in any other country, my scholarship would've paid for my entire schooling but I'm here in the United States of America where a semester will run you $20,000.

I'm the eldest of five, my father passed in 2013 and since then I've had to learn how to fend for myself and my siblings. We don't receive any support from our extended family despite the fact that my father supported the entire extended family until he couldn't. May Allah SWT grant him jannah. Everything I've done has been to honor my father's legacy of pursuing knowledge and being of service to my people. I've been left with a colossal responsibility and little support that has taken a toll on my health. If I had any other option, I wouldn't be asking.

I've been working as much as I can to save up, however, with the rising cost of living, the lack of full-time jobs available, and my healthcare costs for my heart condition, I am not able to pay off the remaining balance of my university fees and tuition out of pocket like I planned to.

I've taken six years off of school trying to figure out how I will pay for it, and I've applied for as many scholarships I can. I've gone through rounds and rounds of interviews for jobs in the city I'm moving to and have faced rejection after rejection. I've spoken to everyone I can at my university to up my scholarship considering my portfolio and the work I've done in the time I've been away from school and no one was moved lol.

I have to buy books for class, pay all these university fees that have nothing to do with tuition and can't be waived, pay for healthcare on campus so I can function, pay for tickets, pay for the moving truck, the security deposit, furniture, and other household items. Those costs alone add up to $13,500. The rest of this fund will be going directly towards my tuition for the year.

It's been exhausting to be siphoned intellectually, overlooked professionally, undermined, devalued, and ignored as I try to get the funds I need to pay for my schooling. I'm already bracing myself to face harassment and abuse for even having the audacity to ask for help but no one wants to be in this position and until my conditions change, I will advocate for myself shamelessly.

I’ve poured everything I have into the stories I’ve published, despite the circumstances I’ve faced and the limited time I’ve had to give to my craft. If my work has ever moved you, inspired you, or made you see something differently, please know that my analysis comes from lived experience. Your support right now would make it possible for me to keep going. Returning to school is the only way I can finish my book and create the stability needed to support my siblings’ futures. I’m in urgent need of help, and every contribution brings me closer to that goal.

I am humbly asking you to help support me in moving, and paying off the rest of my tuition and fees. School shouldn't be this expensive to attend and I understand that people in way more dire circumstances than I are asking for support right now as well and this is adding on to the pile of people asking for support. I don't want to take away from that or gloss over that.

If you can't donate, feel free to share with whoever you can. Any amount helps. Thank you eternally.

With duas and love,

Najma