“Education is everyone’s tool that enables them to face the advancement of this world”

Growing up in the Askar camp in Nablus, Mouath Abu Hamdeh was exposed early to the medical field. At age 14, Mouath started helping out at a local pharmacy to deliver medications and met doctors, pharmacists, and labs, which sparked his interest to study medicine. He studied hard in high school and scored above 90% on his Tawjihi, an exam taken by all high school seniors in Palestine.

“Education, to me, is everyone’s tool that enables them to face the advancement of this world, to live and to adapt with the world surrounding them,” Mouath shares.

The stress of paying tuition has been erased by the scholarship and he can focus on completing my studies with honors. Without this scholarship, he would have been forced to take out loans to pay for medical school, and paying them back may have been impossible.

Askar camp is noisy during the day. It is difficult for Mouath to find a place to study or even take a nap. But for him, it is worth it because after he graduates, he hopes to help out his family and contribute to Palestinian society. Coming from a family of 11, this scholarship helps him cover his tuition costs without burdening his family and himself with student loans that may have been impossible to pay back.

Mouath didn’t choose just any college. He picked An-Najah National University in Nablus because its medical program is so highly rated. But he picked An-Najah also for practical reasons. The university is close to his camp and he doesn’t have to cross any Israeli checkpoints on his daily commute. After the construction of the separation wall, travel throughout the West Bank is much more difficult for daily commuters, who typically have to wait in long lines at checkpoints or travel longer distances to navigate around the Barrier.

Mouath is already beginning some of his real-world training at An-Najah’s hospital, where he is learning how to treat patients and choosing his medical specialty. He is still not sure what exactly he wants to specialize in, because everything has been interesting so far. He will continue exploring his interests and graduate in two years thanks to his generous scholarship sponsors.

“I want to thank my scholarship sponsors from the bottom of my heart. It means so much to us that the Palestinian diaspora in America cares about our education and our future.”

You can help bright Palestine refugee students like Mouath realize their educational potential and dreams by funding a full tuition scholarship or by donating any amount you can to the UNRWA USA University Scholarship Fund. Thank you for funding the future!