Fund gives promising Palestinian students hope to pursue higher education in US

AMMAN — Driven by a dedication to invest in bright students living among displaced communities, a not-for-profit entity has forever changed the lives of scores of young Palestinians.

The Hope Fund (HF), as its name denotes, has managed to give underserved Palestinian refugee students a new lease on life by securing them higher education at US colleges and universities.

“I stayed home for a whole year after the Tawjihi [General Secondary Certificate Examination] due to financial difficulties,” Mahmoud Abu Eid, one of the fund’s beneficiaries, told The Jordan Times.

Earning high scores in the Tawjihi, the Zarqa resident has always wanted to study medicine, which was beyond his family’s means.

“I stumbled upon the Hope Fund on the Internet and I applied immediately, although the deadline had passed,” said the 20-year-old, now a pre-medical student at the Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.

The pressure to pursue a university degree was equally high for Hashem Abu Shama, who scored 98 per cent in the Tawjihi.

The 19-year-old resident of Aroub Refugee Camp in northern Hebron had to defy his family’s desire for him to become a doctor.

“I wanted to serve my country in another way. There are many doctors and engineers around,” he said.

Abu Shama has now finished his first year as an international affairs and economy student at Earlham College in Indiana thanks to the fund.

Mohammad Sarhan, 20, also chose to major in international relations as he believes that the Arab world needs more “people who have an in-depth knowledge of the world around them”.

Sarhan joined the HF team through AMIDEAST/Jordan and is now studying at the College of Wooster in Ohio.

Although agreeing that the first year of college was the toughest, the students have managed to distinguish themselves as smart and committed scholars.

“The excellence of our students is prompting universities to call us for [enrolling] more,” said Deya Leonard Dresner, director of the development and student affairs at HF.

A bumpy road

The desire to bring about change among the underprivileged communities of Palestinian refugees is a vital cause, but securing enough resources to do so remains an arduous task, according to HF officials.

“What we need is for the Palestinian communities and the rest of the Arabs to understand the necessity for educating these underprivileged, bright and motivated Palestinians,” Dresner highlighted.

“We don’t want them to lose the chance to secure an education for these undiscovered geniuses,” she added.

The HP coordination with 30 American colleges and universities has so far granted scholarships to 64 students from Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, according to Dresner.

She noted that students work while on campus to help cover their living expenses.

The fund coordinates with
ARAMEX, a global provider of logistics and transportation solutions, to offer summer internships for the students in their country of residence, a step that Dresner said aims at keeping their bonds strong with their families and familiarising them with the professional work atmosphere.

In addition, AMIDEAST equips the students with English language skills, college testing, admission applications and visas.

After graduation, HF grantees return home to provide the needed expertise to their respective communities.

“While it is hard for students from Gaza and Lebanon to return home for unchallenging jobs, we encourage them to go home and add value to their communities,” Dresner said.

Osama Abu Eid, Mahmoud’s father, agreed, citing the “significant” role the fund has played in the life of his own family.

While bringing HP scholars together as a taskforce to culturally represent their own universities and communities, plans are underway to establish the “friends of the Hope Fund” union to continue providing professional support to graduates.