In the heart of Sarajevo, close to four universities covering various scientific specializations, the place was chosen with care. With distinguished and coordinated furniture the four-floor building was furnished and equipped to provide a safe, quiet and comfortable atmosphere for study and academic achievement. It is the university female students’ residence established by Qatar Charity in Bosnia and Herzegovina for orphaned girls who join universities, and also for girls from low-income families coming from the countryside to the capital, wishing to continue the journey of education and achieve their ambitions for a better future.
University housing is one of the faces of sponsorship that many overlook, and all its aspects are detailed in the guide Sponsoring a Student of Knowledge: Your Complete Guide.
In the students’ eyes this edifice is worth more than providing decent shelter, close to good hotel-like services. It reaches the feeling of one family, given the bonds of sisterhood and friendship that grew among the students, until they feel they are among their own people, as well as the exchange of knowledge and culture between students coming from different backgrounds.
In this article we will try to draw a general picture of the importance this university housing has come to have and its effect on the lives of the 96 female students it houses.
University housing for female students: comfort and reassurance
“Vahira Delalic” from “Travnik” in central Bosnia, a computer science and engineering student, says that the chance of being accepted in the female students’ residence that Qatar Charity provides means a lot to her and her family. It plays a main role in easing the financial burden on her parents and achieving her wish to continue university education in a safe and comfortable atmosphere. She adds: “Thank you for this grant, which gave great help to us and our families.”
One family
For her part the student “Nejma Harvat” expressed her surprise that a body or a person would offer this refined housing for free, like a hotel for students. Nejma says: “Qatar Charity did not just give us free housing, it gave us the chance to meet female students from all over the world and make friendships with them … It is wonderful to live with students from different countries, cultures and universities. I enjoy exchanging information and knowledge with them, to the point that we have already become a small family.”
As for the high cost of living for students in Bosnia, the student noted that “the value of this housing is priceless for all those accepted into it and for their low-income families”.
The path of goodness
Aisha al-Mansouri, one of the beneficiaries, adds: “My brother and I were sponsored as orphans by Qatar Charity until we reached the age of 18. And here I am continuing my journey with its support and that of people of goodness through this comfortable residence … it is a wonderful, noble work that represents a high humanitarian value … Qatar Charity lit the way for us.”
As if I were in my home
As for “Felicity Kibor”, a foreign student in Sarajevo, she expressed her happiness at being in the residence and said: “I am grateful to Qatar Charity forever for providing us housing, food and care, which made me feel happy and comfortable. This housing gave us an integrated security system that let us live in reassurance and made us build friendships with other students from various countries … Living away from family is extremely hard, but the staff at the university housing gave us a family feeling. For me a Qatar Charity room is like a room in my family’s house.
Thanks from the heart
As for the student “Lamija Kapolovic” … she said: “Thank you to those who helped me overcome life’s difficulties … It is wonderful to be part of a system that aims to build knowledge and support education, which is the pillar of any country’s development. I am very happy about Qatar Charity’s presence in Bosnia and its contribution to supporting education in my country.”
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Frequently asked questions about university housing
Why is university housing a condition for finishing study and not a luxury?
Because a student coming from a distant city faces two choices: a housing cost her family cannot bear, or leaving university. Safe nearby housing settles this choice, which is why it is classed under support for education, not shelter.
What does university housing provide besides shelter?
A quiet environment for study, safety that reassures the family, and a network of relationships with colleagues in the same situation. This social side is often the difference between a student who finishes and another who withdraws in her first year.
Does support for education include housing?
In student of knowledge sponsorship programs, yes, as sponsorship covers fees, housing and supplies together. Setting housing aside on its own is also possible through dedicated projects, and it is among the forms of support with the greatest effect for every riyal.
How do I contribute to supporting students’ housing?
Through the student of knowledge sponsorship program or by donating to Qatar Charity’s education projects with the country specified. Projects are followed up yearly and the donor receives reports on the number of beneficiaries and the effect of the support, and a donation can be set aside for a particular city or university when a project is available there.
How much does university housing cost compared with other study expenses?
Housing is often the biggest item in the cost of a university student coming from outside the city, and in many countries may exceed the fees themselves. That is why setting support aside for housing is among the forms of education support with the highest return for every riyal spent.
