We support girls’ education!
Our main goal is to make a positive contribution to existing institutions that are committed to supporting girls’ education.
Female Empowerment @ UWC Maastricht
Women in our immediate environment are gaining more and more opportunities and that’s good! But if we think on a global scale, we see how important it is to invest now in women who will be able to make an impact in the future in countries where gender equality is still just a dream. That is why we want to offer girls from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) a UWC education, so that more and more women can make a difference there, too.
Women in Exhibitions International joined a group of women brought together by UWC Maastricht who believe in the positive impact of female empowerment and want to contribute to it.
What do we support?
The UWC Maastricht offers a two-year International Baccalaureate (IB) programme during which students live on the school’s campus. This costs 50,000 euros.
Our goal is to have at least five girls from the MENA region enter the IB programme every year in Maastricht and Women in Exhibitions International wants to financially contribute to this goal.
What we love about UWC Maastricht is that they offer pupils the opportunity to learn how to play an active role in social issues. They develop the skills to grow into caring citizens of the world, who know when and how to bring about positive change. With a UWC Maastricht diploma, a place at one of the world’s top universities is practically guaranteed and various scholarships are available for UWC graduates to continue their education. When these young women return home, they use their knowledge and experience for the good of their own countries.
Rabab Nafe
Algeria – UWC Maastricht 2016 – 2018
Rabab Nafe grew up in an Algerian refugee camp without electricity or clean water. Thanks to a generous sponsor, Rabab was able to come to the UWC Maastricht in The Netherlands. What a major change compared to her home situation! Suddenly she had access to running water and spent her days in a classroom.
Thanks to a lot of support and hard work, she managed to obtain a degree even though when she arrived she didn’t speak a word of English.
“UWC Maastricht changed my life,” she says. “It was a lantern in the dark. I learned how to make something of my life and the lives of my community.”
And she does! Rabab is now committed to supplying her village with water tanks. UWC Maastricht taught her the necessary skills to set up such a project together with other UWC students. The students are enriching not only the lives of people in an Algerian village, but also each other’s lives. They constantly exchange experiences with each other and learn from each other’s stories. In this way, UWC uses education for change, for a sustainable future not just for ourselves, but for everyone. But we can’t do it alone! Join us to support the change, so the world really becomes a better place!
How we are involved in this charity work?
Women in Exhibitions International joined a group of socially-engaged women, a network of women for women. For us, it is about more than just financial support. We want to learn from each other, inspire and motivate each other. Because we believe that everyone, regardless of origin, gender or religion should be given equal opportunities. Because it shouldn’t matter if you’re born in London or in Aleppo, in Dusseldorf or in Misratah. Together we want to create opportunities for young women so they can make a positive impact in the MENA region.
