Mahde's 1st Year of University

My name is Mahde Albaz and I am looking for support to fund my first year in University. I am from Qalqilya, Palestine, which is located in the North of the West Bank and completely surrounded by the Israeli wall. I just began my studies in Business at the Dr. Buhmann School, an internationally accredited bachelor’s program in Hannover, Germany.

I have been living in Germany all alone for over two years becoming fluent in German and fullfilling my requirements to enter University. Living in Qalqilya was very difficult. One of the ways I dealt with living there was discovering my passion for beatboxing. Most of my friends and the people I know in Qalqilya have dreams but they give them up because they know the whole country is occupied and there is no hope that things will get better. Beatboxing allowed me to create my own world where I could always feel free. In beatboxing you don’t need an instrument, a microphone or even electricity. The music comes from inside you. Beatboxing made me feel special, it made me feel I could be successful at something and it gave me the confidence that I could do something bigger.

I wanted a better education. I chose Germany because it is in the center of Europe, has great schools and the World Beatbox Championship is located in Berlin. I would love to become a world champion beatboxer, but to be honest, it is not very practical. So I decided to study Business because I thought this way I can combine my passion for music with a more stable profession. If I can do well for myself, then maybe some day soon I can help other musicians in Palestine discover their dreams.

I’m writing this after just finishing orientation where I met so many new people and so many students. It was one of the most beautiful days of my life. Everyone in school is either German or from Europe and it was clear that I was the only Arab student there. This has empowered me to do something for myself, for my people and represent my country.

My budget of 14,400 Euros covers my tuition, room and board and utilities for 12 months while I attend my first year in university and work part time. Meanwhile I am working on a longer term solution by connecting with individuals and organizations that offer scholarship programs for students in my situation.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and learn about my situation.

Sincerely,
Mahde Albaz