Education for a better tomorrow

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela

My name is Elma Kahric and I just completed my second year at Gymnasium of Bosanska Krupa in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though, this country is rich by many natural, historical, cultural heritage the traces of recent war and poverty are highly present. Throughout my academics I have been working very hard and patiently which resulted in my acceptance to an IB program school. So far, I have been able to conquer many of the challenges that have been thrown on my way, but for this one I need a bit more help.
As mentioned above, due to my outstanding academics achievement I have managed to get into an IB program school. This school, called Second Gymnasium, is located in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo. The decision to transit to this type of program came with my wish to influence a bit more the society I live in. Nevertheless, my current school gives an amazing basis and knowledge to all of its students, but most of that knowledge is theoretically being adopted. By these words I mean that my current school still does not have sufficient space and classrooms equipped with the standards of giving an extraordinary knowledge to the students. Therefore, I have tried to get into the IB program, what I have succeeded. While the school is still located in my country and I have managed to find a suitable accommodation, the school does not provide any scholarships or loans considering the tuition fees. I still have to pay $3,000 for the costs of tuition and exams. As briefly described in the section below I come from a disadvantageous background; which as such I my parents do not have access to bank and/or private loans, and we cannot afford to pay $3,000 immediately out of pocket.

Why did I start this campaign?

I was born in Bosanska Krupa, a second most damaged and destructed municipality from the recent war. Namely, Bosnia and Herzegovina was in a terrible civil war that broke out from 1992 – 1995, where a lot of damages have been made. One of the best proofs of the terrors of this war is Srebrenica where more than 8,000 innocent civilians have been murdered and slaughtered. Nowadays, even though its almost 22 years after the war, the country is still struggling in many aspects. The unemployment rate of Bosnia and Herzegovina comes up to 41 % where the total percentage of young people leaving the country is around 49 %. As a result of these destructive causes, my family was forced of taking a bank loan, which currently has an extremely high interest rates.
After taking the bank loan my family has managed to recover the house and certain other aspects of everyday living. However, with the high interest rates as already mentioned, many years of debt have been left to cover. Therefore, only partially my new opportunity can be covered.
My main reason for the help that I need is the wish to move forward and use my own knowledge, not only for me but for the society too. Being on the crossroad where I can choose the path to go and obtain a better education, with the possibilities to work in laboratories, taking the knowledge from books and implementing them in real life situations. The deadline for my decision is by the end of August, and therefore I am persistent to succeed with this campaign and try to collect the required amount of money. With your help and the donations I will be able to not only make it a bit easier for my parents but also to open myself new door, and get closer to my aim.

About me

Growing up in the country such as Bosnia and Herzegovina is an experience full of obstacles, unusual situations, limitations and many other disadvantages. Already in my first years of primary school I have noticed that if I do not fight for myself with all the tools I can use, there is almost no perspective future. Therefore I have decided to get engaged into competitions and many other projects. Throughout those years I have attended many school, municipality and state level competitions where I have achieved great results. One of the most outstanding rewards of my patience and effort was the state competition in Technology where I have won the first place. By the end of the first step, primary school, I got the reward of being one of the best students of the generation, among best students in the municipality. With that I have achieved a free entrance to gymnasium and a travel ticket. However, after two years of gymnasium I realized that with the effort I have made, I can transit to even a higher education or the IB program. After the interviews and the first cycle of the process, I have been accepted to this new school with the condition of paying 3,000$ for the tuition for two years.

However, If I do not succeed to collect this money I will have to continue and finish the Gymnasium in Bosanska Krupa. With its degree, due to its value , I will not be able to work at any place in this country. The degree I will be achieving is a general course degree that only prepares and gives a good basis for further studies. And even after this high school if I decide on going to the university, my choices would still be limited by the opportunities my country and my region offers me. Any help you provide me means a lot. Each donation is a great push forward, which allows me to get closer to my aim. With the IB degree, I will get a push forward towards many universities and the opportunity to get better education which will allow me to help not only others that are in same situation as I am, but to engage, empower my own society.

Thank you a lot for your time, patience, consideration and generosity!
My family and I are very grateful.
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