Help Dulcelena to study Astronomy

Dulcelena Cardoso Semedo is a basic education teacher in Praia, Cape Verde, that loves astronomy. She has started her undergraduate studies in Maths at the age of 33. Dulcelena used to learn about the sky with her parents, local farmers that used the stars and Moon cycles to grow crops. Before becoming a science teacher, Dulcelena was also a farmer.

In July 2016, an astrophysicist from Brazil started supervising her diploma thesis studies. The meetings between student and supervisor happened via skype, hangout or even by phone. In march 2017, Dulcelena presented the thesis entitled as "Teaching of mathematics applied to Astronomy: an activity on the axial tilt of the Solar System planets".

A month after, Dulcena was already enrolled in a distance learning postgraduate education course on Teaching of Astronomy in the Brazilian university Cruzeiro do Sul.

The 1,5-yr course was the only opportunity Dulcelena had, since she wanted to keep studying Astronomy, but could not leave Cape Verde. Another barrier, was the language: the course had to be in Portuguese, language of Cape Verde.

However, in the Brazilian system, the distance-learning formal education program requires that the student make at least two visits to the university: one can be during an exam and the second visit must be during the thesis defense. Dulcelena came to Brazil for the first time in September, 2017, when she took an exam and participated on a 3-day teacher training workshop on Astronomy. She got the flight ticket to Brazil from the Cape Verdean Red Cross and lodging covered by the Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development in Brazil.

Dulcelena needs to go back to Brazil to present thesis. So far, she has not managed to find funds that will pay her flight ticket. She needs to defend her thesis before the end of the year. Help Dulcelena to conclude her studies and become the first person in Cape Verde with a degree in Astronomy!