The Hegg Hoffet Fund for Displaced Women Graduates
2008 Beneficiaries
In 2008, total grants were 3168 Swiss francs. Highlights of the Committee's work 2008 were as follows:
- A Sudanese refugee in Egypt who is taking computer courses received the second instalment of her grant. She obtained high marks in her first semester
- A Colombian doctor living in western Canada received a transportation and supplies grant to assist her while she is taking qualifying courses to work as a nurse. She was able to obtain a student loan to pay for her tuition, and will be finishing her training this year. Her husband has not been able to find full-time work, so their family of three had been living in a tiny apartment in a poor neighbourhood. They were recently accepted for government subsidized housing in a better area, and our grant also helped them move to a small townhouse there. She wrote that the "most valuable economic and moral support touches our spirits as human beings".
- A Pakistani doctor now living in France and studying for a Master’s degree in Public Health received a grant for advanced French language courses. She was also delighted with the moral support received, and is in contact on a regular basis
- A Zimbabwean undergraduate refugee now living in South Africa was assisted to connect with the financial aid office of her university, where she was advised of grants for which she might be eligible, and recommended to submit her resume to the appropriate department for an on-campus part-time job.
The Hegg Hoffet Committee would like to thank the NFAs and local branches who donated a total of 1315 Swiss francs in 2008 to the Fund. They would especially like to thank the Swiss Association and the Canadian Federation for their continuing support of the programme.
In addition to raising funds, Committee Members promote personal links between NFAs and the grantees. Prior recipients have provided positive feedback about the success of the grants and the importance of these contacts. Efforts are now underway to advertise the Fund more widely, both through IFUW affiliates and through UN refugee agencies.
Past Beneficiaries
The work of the Fund is on a small scale but it can greatly change the lives of those women graduate refugees it helps, as the following examples illustrate:
An Ethiopian refugee now living in Australia was unable to find employment in her field of agricultural science without upgrading her computer skills. The AFUW Queensland branch was able to help her find an appropriate course and offer her moral support, and the Fund covered her tuition fees for business computer courses.
An Afghani medical doctor in Canada was not allowed to practise medicine there. Through the Fund, she received a tuition grant for courses in ultrasound technology, and she hopes to continue her studies so that she qualifies as a nurse. In the meantime, she works part-time and studies, while looking after her three children. Her husband, also a doctor, is studying to pass Canadian medical examinations, so she has to help support the family.
Another doctor, a Russian Jewish single mother,was granted refugee status in Germany. The fund helped pay her tuition and childcare so that she could take a six-month course and prepare for examinations to qualify to practise medicine in Germany.
Five refugees from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, all now living in Switzerland, were funded for a German language course. Their professions include dentistry, chemistry, management, and accounting. They are all taking part in a program which will teach them how to set up their own businesses in Switzerland.
A Kurdish refugee now completing her Master's degree in Political Science in eastern Canada received a small grant for books. She has joined the local branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women, and has found them very helpful in her transition to living in a different culture.
A Sudanese refugee in Egypt who has a Bachelor of Science and was earning a very low wage teaching primary students, was given a tuition grant to take some computer courses. With her upgraded skills, she hopes to get a better job and help support her younger siblings who are still in southern Sudan.
Remember! The work of the Hegg-Hoffet Fund cannot be done without the generous help and support of IFUW members every year!
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