Voices

Letters of Appreciation

Hiba Assi

I am very proud to be Palestinian and living in one of the most beautiful countries which is Lebanon. However, being a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon means living in very hard conditions that nobody can stand. All the hardships that the Palestinians have been facing in Lebanon and other countries did not stop them from dreaming. They have been trying hard to improve their lives and to guarantee a better life for the coming generations.

I am the second of six daughters to my wonderful parents. My father works in his relative’s studio and gets a low income that does not even cover the basic needs of living. This financial situation makes going to college an unaffordable dream. This did not prevent me and my sisters from working hard at school. My elder sister got a scholarship from one of the academic programs of the United Nations to go to Beirut Arab University. I felt so proud and happy for her. However, the United Nations has a rule that two members of the same family cannot be given scholarships at the same time regardless of their academic outstanding. Consequently, I lost any hope of going into college and pursuing high education, but I kept my hard work. I did not give up at any moment until I heard about the Hope Fund. Through hard studying; strong determination; and the Hope Fund help, I got a full scholarship from Washington and Lee University.

It has been seven months since my arrival to the United States. I have been doing well so far and I feel that I am now adjusted to being away from my small warm home. I promised my parents and the Hope Fund that I will live up to what they are expecting from me as a Hope scholar. I was on the Honor role and the Dean’s list in my first semester. I am doing my best to live the cultural experience along with the academic experience. Being here allows me to be the representative of my country and people and to tell people the real story of the Palestinian people.

I have passed through some difficult times when I missed my family and friends. However, I have my second family who are always there for me. The President of the Hope Fund Dr. Fahim (Uncle Fahim) and his wife Nancy provide me with support, advice and help whenever I need it. Moreover, they are making me feel at home away from home by inviting me to their place whenever I have time to relax and eat some Palestinian dishes. My family and I are very grateful to them and to their help.

The Hope Fund Organization and Washington and Lee University helped me to be on the first step towards the future that I am longing for to myself and to my family. They pulled my hand towards hope and prosperity and this makes me responsible to pay them back by helping my community when I complete my high education. I cannot think of any fulfilling way to show my appreciation to all the goodhearted people who supported me other than saying “Thank You” from all my heart.

Manal Zaher
March 16, 2007

To My Life & Future Savers,

Growing up in a big poor family didn’t really promise me a good future. I grew up with a family of five brothers and a sister, and I was the youngest. My father was used to be a Math high school teacher and my mom was and still is a house wife. I grew up with a very great dream that I want to do something unique, or something inventory. Whenever I read about a genius scientist, my passion to science would jump all over the place and imagined myself doing something great. But two minutes later I would be so depressed. With my family’s financial status, I would have never finished high school even. At that time UNRWA didn’t really offer high school for Palestinian refugees. But with a very hopeful and encouraging mom wiping my tears away and encouraging me all the time, I was used to do my best and study as hard as I could. I was a good student and my teachers were used to tell me always that I should do something talented, but that would always leave me desperate. But I had a good faith in God that he might help me getting a higher education.

It was in 1998 when I lost every hope when my father got fired* from his job and he couldn’t find any other job. So my eldest brother had to start taking care of the family. My hope was fainting little by little but I was also trying to get benefit of every chance I had. Later UNRWA started offering high school education for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. So that paved the way for the hope to enlighten my life once again especially after my brother got married and his responsibilities were more by that time.

I was always trying to convince myself that it should be fine. I was used to say to myself that a miracle might happen when studying for an exam just to calm myself down after feeling that there was no point of studying. UNRWA started to help get Scholarships for people to study in Lebanese Universities, but I was told that I wasn’t really eligible because one of my brothers benefited from the scholarships before.

It was late September 2005 when the hope finally found its way to my soul; the miracle really came true! I still remember that day when my high school principal came to my class and called me with two other friends to tell us about the Hope Fund Scholarship to the US. I can’t describe how happy I was even before getting the scholarship. It just planted something in my soul, it motivated me to do my school work and be successful. It was by chance that my best friend and I got the scholarship together. Not only did Hope Fund give me the chance to have a higher education but it also gave me a better friendship relation.

The past summer was really tough for Lebanon, so I didn’t really imagine that I might make it to the states on time or just even leave Lebanon safe. But the Hope Fund was there another time to save me. With a tender heart and a helping hand of its President Dr. Fahim Qubain and his wife Nancy who were so worried about me getting out of Lebanon in that miserable situation, I made it safe to Damascus. Amideast and Uncle Fahim did what can never ever be done by anyone in order to help me get the Visa and all the paper work and come to my college on time. The college that was so generous and gave me a full 4-year scholarship with full tuition, room and board, health insurance and nearly everything that I need.

Now I am a Bryn Mawr freshmen student. I am having the best of life that I would have never even dreamt about; a very good education, a good social community where everyone is so caring, and a self-building experience. If I were still at home, I would never be independent, self confident and a person who appreciates diversity as I am now. I owe saving my life (and I literally mean it), saving my future, and helping build myself, and bettering off my home community to the tender and generous hand of my second family “The Hope Fund”. There are no words enough to describe how much I appreciate what they did for me. If I were to work hard all my life I would never return them back a small piece of their generosity. The only thing I can say is Thank You So Much my second family, I LOVE YOU all!

* Just to make it clear, my father was 58 at that time, so it was almost retirement age. But being a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, he wasn’t eligible for any retirement payments or any governmental or non-governmental benefits.

Marwa Abdel Latif
March 16, 2007

"A gift of God makes its way through stone walls"

The Hope Fund students are a true example of such a saying. We have come a long way to capture bits and pieces of an untouchable dream with unbroken boundaries. We are whom you call the makers of reality and the defenders of the impossible. We just needed a door to be opened for us and a hand of help to be given to us.

This is Marwa Abdel Latif and I am currently a junior at Randolph- Macon Woman’s College. I find it rather difficult to describe my appreciation to the contribution of Hope Fund Organization. This scholarship gave me the hope of helping not only myself but also my family.

As a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, I had a slim hope of acquiring a college degree due to my family’s financial status. I had to depend on my academic records and personal achievements to acquire a scholarship back home. However, that hard work was soon recognized by the Hope Fund Organization who granted me the opportunity to come to the United States. However, now, I am a double major in biology and chemistry. Not only do I have an opportunity to study what I am most passionate about, but also I am learning about the American culture and its citizens.

As a proof of my commitment to my scholarship, I am on the Dean’s list and I had an amazing opportunity as a summer researcher last summer. I am also an active member in my society. I enjoy participating in numerous clubs on campus such as UMMAH, Pan World and Coffee House. I have also started a new club called Woman Matter. In addition, I regularly volunteer at Virginia Baptist Hospital and Lynchburg Grows. It is needless to talk about my achievements during the past two and half years. Personally, I find that my academic achievements are not enough to shape the person who I am today. The most crucial part of this scholarship I have to admit was valuable lessons about life itself. I learned how to become truly independent. I put the values that my parents taught me into action. I declare that true commitment and dedication did open a lot of doors for me. I realized that hard work and honesty are my weapons to succeed in any position I acquire. I learned the meanings of: “What does not destroy makes you stronger”. I am now anxiously seeking for more opportunities to seize.

All what I have learned is granted back to the Hope Fund Organization that gave me this opportunity.

My appreciation as I mentioned before is in actions not in words and this is another precious lesson I came across. This is how this scholarship has shaped my life.

Sincerely,

Marwa Abdel Latif

Mohammad El-Charfa
April 7, 2006

Dear Dr. Qubain,

I am sending you this letter as an appreciation for the great work you and the Hope Fund have done for me.

Since I was young, my dream was to become an engineer. I had no idea about engineering field, but I liked to be called “the engineer.” I could complete my studies up to high school in the United Nations schools. The United Nations (UNERWA) provided free schools for the Palestinian refugees up to high school level.

I knew it was impossible for me to continue my studies, because of my family’s economical state, but I always had faith. I had faith that one day I will become an engineer. I had faith that I will be able to achieve my parents’ dream.

The civil war in Lebanon prevented my siblings from completing their studies. My parents loved education, but they were not able to offer it to my siblings. They always had faith in me; they had faith that I will continue my studies. Their faith was just a dream. A dream they knew it is impossible to be achieved.

My senior year, I started thinking; am I going to achieve my and my parents dream? Am I going to be able to resume my studies?

When I graduated from high school, I had to face the reality; My family could not afford university’s applications’ fee. However, my dream became very close to be a reality. I was contacted by AMIDEAST, and was one of several students that were qualified for the best scholarship I ever heard of. It was the Hope Fund Scholarship; a scholarship offered to the Palestinian refugees in the Middle East to complete their studies in an American University/college. The dream that one day was extremely impossible became very close to come true. I was chosen for this scholarship because of my economical and educational status. I got the scholarship, and here the dream started.

Coming to the United States was not easy at all. It was a challenge; different world, different culture, and different life. Being away from my family was hard for me, however, Dr. Qubain, you helped a lot to get over my emotions.

Dr. Qubain, you and Nancy did not only support me economically, you also helped me to experience the real life. I became independent, responsible, and ready to live my life. Although at that time I thought that you were hard on me, but now I understand the lesson. You wanted me to become a man, with the full meaning of the word.

Dr. Qubain, I always am trying to make you proud of me. Academically, I am Computer Science major and Math minor. I would like to resume my graduate studies in Computer Engineering. I always try to participate in the programs the Math, Physics and Computer Science department offer. Last semester, I participated in 20th Annual CCSC (Southeastern Conference at Lipscomb University programming contest). Socially, I am a member of several clubs in the school, such as; BSA (Black Student Alliance), MCA (Multicultural Affairs), International Club, CAB (Campus Student Board), and the computer science club in the school RCSCACM, as a vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

Working on campus gave me a great experience as well. I work as an Information Technology technician, where I have to maintain computers.

My experience in the United States changed my life totally. The Hope Fund Scholarship gave me more than I asked for. I got the experience of working and studying, living among people of different nations and backgrounds. The Hope Fund Scholarship made me open to the outer world, and most importantly, it helped me achieving my and my family’s dream, continuing my studies.

This letter cannot cover how much thanks I have to the Hope Fund. I want to thank you for all your efforts to help us, the Palestinian refugee students!! Thank you so much!!

Shireen Jamil AbuKhiran
March 14, 2007

My name is Shireen Jamil AbuKhiran, I am 19 years old, and I’m from a refugee camp in Palestine. As a Palestinian student at Bridgewater College and a Hope fund scholar. I have to say that the Hope Fund is the best thing that happened to me in my life, it was and is the new hope, the new life and the new future that I hope to have, it gives me the hope that I can continue this life, and I can be something in the future, I can be somebody who everybody will be proud of, somebody who can make better changes for herself, her family, her society and the whole world.

Having this scholarship was like having everything that I hoped for, although I am still at my freshman year at college, but I already can feel the difference between having something to work for, and not having anything at all. Before I got this scholarship, I was like any other student in my camp, suffering from conflict, having no hope and lost, I didn’t know what I have to do or where I have to go, neither my parents, I couldn’t blame them because everybody was the same, I wanted to change, they wanted me to have something, be something, but you can wish a lot of things but you wont achieving anything unless you get on with it.

The Hope Fund was the path that led me to the light; it changed everything, my ambitions, perspectives, and personality. The Hope fund basically is the main reason for what I am going to be, it gives me the hope and the inspiration to fight for what I dreamed about, and what I wanted to achieve. So the least thing that I can do is to say thank you for every single person who helped establishing the Hope Fund, because when they helped doing that, they didn’t just establish an organization, they established a whole life.