By Rand Dalgamouni
AMMAN – Having passed her Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate) exam with a high average, Rawan Al Najjar was happy to know that her grades qualified her to study nursing at university.
When the university admission results were announced in September, Najjar received the good news that she was eligible to study the specialty she chose at the University of Jordan.
But her father said he could not afford the university fees.
Najjar, the eldest of nine children, was about to lose hope when her mother Insherah Nofal found out about the Microfund for Women’s (MFW) scholarship programme.
“When I went to the fund to apply for a loan, I found out by chance that they were receiving applications for full university scholarships for children of beneficiaries,” she told The Jordan Times on Thursday.
Nofal, who used MFW loans to open a shop that sells satellite dishes, sent an application for her daughter, which was one of the last applications received by the MFW Rising Leaders Scholarship programme.
Out of a total of 355 applications, the fund selected 15 finalists based on their Tawjihi results, their service to their community, and their clearly defined career goals, according to the MFW.
A committee interviewed the finalists and selected 10 winners to receive full scholarships to attend the university of their choice and a JD100 monthly stipend to cover additional costs.
The MFW will also help the winning students secure internships during their summer breaks at local and international organisations in Jordan, according to the fund.
Microfund for Women Managing Director Muna Sukhtian with winners of the Rising Leaders Scholarship programme in Amman on Thursday (Photo courtesy of the MFW)
Categories: Asia, Education, Educational Resources, Jordan