My name is Bridget Nagamoro and I grew up in extreme poverty in what is now South Sudan. Thanks to my father’s rare insistence that I should go to school, I was able to go to university. Now I want to share the opportunity I had with hundreds of girls like me.
I have built a boarding school for girls in my home village, so girls age ten from across the country can come to learn with us. We have the determination and the building – including a roof, quite a luxury for schools here. Now we need to develop the school so we can offer educational opportunities to more young women.
In South Sudan, a girl is more likely to die in childbirth than to finish primary school. So many different factors keep girls out of school; some are married as young as 12, and decades of civil war have made education difficult, leaving nine out of ten girls illiterate.
If we can’t provide girls with high quality teaching, the majority of families will continue to believe they are more use at home, caring for younger siblings. Only one in six teachers in South Sudan have had any training.
Right now, we have 130 girls, but I want to help 360 in the next few years. It’s a huge leap forward, and The Open University’s MSc in Development Management with give me the key skills to deliver a high quality education, find sponsors for the girls and expand the school. Each stage I complete – certificate, diploma and then the full MSc – will give me better skills to change more lives with. For more information on the MSc in Development Management please click here .
So I can take the knowledge back to my school as soon as possible, I aim to complete the three stages of the MSc in just one year. But I need your help to afford the fees.
Initially, I hope to raise £3,758. This will cover the cost of my Certificate. Another £3,758 will pay for my diploma and then a final £3,758 will pay for the overall Masters. If I could raise enough for a full scholarship I would be so grateful and the girls at my school, both present and future, will benefit and help to build a better South Sudan.
I have some great rewards to share with you and thank everyone who donates, whatever the amount you might give.
If you would prefer to make a gift offline please contact 01908 655044, we would be happy to take your pledge over the phone. Alternatively, e-mail giving@open.ac.uk with your name, the amount you’d like to pledge and your preferred method of contact once the campaign is over so we can contact you to take your donation. Thank you so much for your support!