Fati Graduated University!

Please see the most recent update November 2023! FATI GRADUATED!

***Update January 2020: Thanks for your donations & we reached our goal some time ago! Fati will complete her 2-year diploma in Family & Consumer Sciences in November 2020. Please see the "updates" section as "The Story" (below) has changed over the years. Such is life!

Why Fati needs your help 

Fati will graduate high school in Tamale, Ghana this spring 2018 & has long hoped to continue her education to become a nurse. She has excelled in her high school courses. While her family is supportive of her goals, it is not possible for them to contribute much financially.

Fati will apply for any scholarships available, however, these are very competitive and difficult to obtain. Educational (student) loans are not easily acquired or common in Ghana.

While male students can work during the nursing program, female students have stricter rules & are more confined to the campus. Although Fati will not be able to work during school periods due to these restrictions, she aims to find some small work to help supplement costs over any holiday breaks. 

In Fati's words:

The reason for which I want to become a nurse is that there is a serious nursing deficit in my community leading to a high level of maternal mortality rate. More importantly, I hate seeing patients suffer in seeking for health care. However, those things are extremely common in my community leading to some avoidable deaths. This and other reasons motivate me to want to pursue nursing as a profession.

It is, however, true admitting that my greatest enemy as a determined poor girl is the finance that will cater for my expenses in the nursing school. I greatly wish and hope that I shall put smiles on the faces of patients and make a significant difference in the health status of my people through your support. I am humbled and grateful.

-FATIMA. 

                            (Fati, 2013).

The Costs

Full costs for the three-year program at Tamale Nursing Training College costs 22,000 Ghana cedi, or $4,863.98. This includes six semesters, room & board, exams, and expenses associated with clinical rotations in the hospital. 

Two friends in Germany (that Fati & I both know very well) are aiming to help crowdfund there to raise half of this amount.

So, the aim in the U.S. is to raise slightly more than half ($2,500) which will help to cover some of the associated fees for raising & wiring the funds.

How you can help & why I'm fundraising

My name is Sarah & I met Fatima ("Fati") in Ghana in 2007 while doing a nursing internship myself at the time. Fati was just 9 years old. Fatima & I have stayed in close touch over the last eleven years with another face-to-face visit in 2013. 

We text each other frequently through international friendly apps like What's App.

I worked as a registered nurse for six years & now I am a family nurse practitioner (FNP) in the U.S. I appreciate the process & challenges of becoming a nurse (and beyond), however, recognize this process is much different in northern Ghana. I deeply hope for Fati's success to become a nurse & provide a much-needed profession in her community. 

Fati & I (along with our good friends in Germany) discussed options to set Fati up for success. Fati has approved the crowdfunding option along with everything said here. She is very involved in this process. 

                                  Fati (2007)

Fati cannot directly withdraw money from the GoFundMe site. I will have a bank account specifically for Fati's funds raised here in the U.S.

Fati's fees are due August 1, 2018. A few weeks before that time, I will wire the money to Ghana. I am familiar with the process & use a reliable company for that matter. 

Money can continue to be raised beyond the due date, however, it would be ideal to raise the goal amount & wire at once due to the associated fees with wiring money. 

How you can help

I appreciate that many of you have limited funds yourself. Even a donation of $5 can be helpful in this process. We will keep you updated along the way. 

Please reach out with any questions. 

Thank you.