I am Tonderai, called Ted by my friends. I have had the exceptional honour of being selected by my university to spend a semester at Leiden University in the Netherlands, where I will complete the requirements to graduate with a Master of Laws degree in International Air, Space and Telecommunications.
It is a big deal for me, because up to now I have had the fortune of studying at the only university in Africa to offer this degree, much by chance, and aligning with my long-standing interest in international civil aviation. Now, I have the opportunity to study at a university with a dedicated and world class International Institute of Air and Space Law. As some may know, these two spheres of international law are very important, with some exciting developments for Africa at the moment, and to get the opportunity to contribute to these leaps forward from academic research and policy development for Africa is exceptional.
There’s the rub: In order to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity, I have to settle all my expenses with my parent university entailing:
1)Tuition Fees to the tune of ZAR30 000
2) University Accommodation to the tune of ZAR40 000
in quite a short time in advance of leaving in August as one of the conditions. I work to fund my own studies and for my living expenses. I am an academic co-worker by day, assisting in the administrative and teaching functions of one of the academic departments in my faculty, and I am tutoring university students privately. I have also started a venture with my close friend selling hummus and onion marmalade preempting the success of the selection.
The assistance I require may end up being a lot less depending on the success of these ventures, but I commit then anything above what I need to settle with my university that I raise with your help to another ambitious student at my university! I hope that I can count on your support to help me get to Leiden, and to help Africa, through this young African, to make a mark on the international civil aviation scene.
