UK Masters Scholarship for Amira

Aim

Funding a postgraduate scholarship at Goldsmiths, London for the young & gifted scholar and author Amira, a refugee in the Rafah camp, Gaza

Hello everyone. I am Dr Anna Vaught, teacher, mentor and author, and for the past year I have been working as a volunteer teacher and mentor alongside Amira, who is just graduating in Translation Studies at the Islamic University of Gaza, where she has excelled. Amira's father was killed when she was little and in the current conflict she has lost three brothers and her home. Somehow she has continued through trauma and fear. She regularly witnesses atrocities nearby and remains at risk. Amira is also a writer and her first book, The Diary from Gaza, was published last year. Now, she has a UK publishing deal with Habibi, I Am Still Here and I am her editor. Amira was offered multiple places at top UK universities, but it is Goldsmiths and their amazing Creative Writing With Life Writing that we want to focus our attention on. There ARE Palestinian scholarships at a small number of universities, and the Edward Said scholarship scheme is amazing, but they are hugely oversubscribed and she was not awarded one for 2026.

Will you help me get her to Goldsmiths for autumn 2026? She is so well suited to the Creative Writing and Life Writing course, and what is more, I will be mentoring her for her publishing work and she continues her scholarship in translation at the same time. 

The sum we are looking at is £50,000 with a contingency sum of £5,000.

What does this cover?

*International student fees (expensive!)

*Evacuation, transit visa and travel costs

*Living expenses in the UK - travel, accommodation and food.

*UK student visa and immigration surcharge (this pays for use of the NHS during the year). My MP is supporting us with this as Amira is a ward of his constituent!

I am Amira's guardian in the UK and in touch with her and her family regularly. Our family home is her base as she needs it and we will arrange travel and care within the UK, but she will be based in London.

It may be that you have funds to fund ALL of this or a substantial part, but whatever is possible is wonderful. We can nurture a brilliant student, look after a family, and we can also keep Amira safe. 

With my thanks,

Anna - and Amira.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 13th December 2026 at 3:43pm