By
Samuel Hutt
London
I fell in love with writing as a young boy. Having spent years feeling like I didn't have a voice, at university, I realised I could use my writing to say something important, by speaking out for those who are deemed too poor, too worthless, too other, to be listened to by the Western world.
My Mum and Dad live and work in
Kenya
, running an
NGO
that rescues vulnerable teenage mums and their young children. I have spent a lot of time in Uganda and Kenya over the last four years with our new, ever-expanding family. My parents' project is one of my greatest inspirations in life: like them, I want to use my own strengths - as a writer, an academic, and an innovator - to make the kind of difference to people that matters.
I want to help mediate change. Real, just change. I will do this by helping people to see that 'Africa' is more than poverty, famine, disease or war. I am also determined to develop platforms on which the African continent's most marginalised communities and victims of social stigmatisation can speak out for themselves. I want to use my voice so that theirs are finally heard. That is my goal.
I've now been offered the perfect next step on the road towards that goal. The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) , University of London, has offered me a place on their postgraduate degree course in African Studies. I hope to start full-time from 25 September.
This is an unmissable opportunity ; but sadly, it's not cost-free.
My parents' work in Kenya is completely voluntary , which means that I have been financially independent since aged 19. I put myself through university, and now rent a flat in north London while working for a health charity. The expense of living in London makes it virtually impossible for me to save up enough money to study at SOAS without help. Unfortunately I am not eligible for any scholarships from SOAS itself. In order to get to SOAS, I need to grow my support network - and that's where you come in.
I am a worthy investment with a proven track record of success.
As well as First Class Honours, I was awarded
three academic prizes
for my undergraduate dissertations, which focused on art and the Rwandan Genocide, and Somali experiences of displacement in relation to the on-going Mediterranean Refugee Crisis.
The examiner, a respected scholar of African literature, said of my work, "this is quite simply one of the best pieces of scholarship I have read in a long time [...] one of the most provocative and politically poignant interventions I have read [...] please think about pursuing a career in the academy. We desperately need more voices like yours going forward ."
African Studies is a very broad discipline, covering African cultures, histories, politics, languages, literature, economics and art forms. SOAS also happens to be one of the best places in the world to study African Studies. It will allow me to learn at least one African language of my choosing, as well as build lasting relationships with staff and students from all over the world .
It's important to note that SOAS is not my finishing line. By supporting me now, you are a key part of my career journey moving forward. I will use an MA in African Studies to:
The total amount required for the twelve-month course at SOAS is £25,000 . This includes:
I will be using the money that I have been able to save, and will also be applying for a postgraduate loan from Student Finance; however, I need your help to find the remaining £15,000, otherwise I will not be able to attend SOAS this September.
I have set the minimum required on this page to £9,000 . This covers all student fees, as well as fundraising fees to PayPal. Hubbub does not charge any fees. This is an all-or-nothing campaign. If I do not reach this minimum, then I will not receive anything at all. Anything more that I manage to raise will be used towards the cost of books, travel, and study costs such as printing.
Every
donation counts, which is why I'll be compiling a
special project
to thank
everyone
who supports me,
no matter what you are able to give
.
For those who can afford to give a little more, I will thank you on social media, share my prize-winning written work with you, acknowledge your generosity within my first publishable work, and even show you around SOAS/London town. A full list of rewards is available on the right-hand panel of the page.
Please don't forget to follow me and my #find25 campaign on Facebook , Twitter , WordPress and Instagram by clicking these links, and keep up-to-date with all my fundraising progress.
No gift is too small. Every pound will make a difference. Crowd-funding is about working together, so please give whatever you can.
If you're not able to support me financially, then I'd really appreciate your help in other ways! I've launched this fundraising campaign while working full-time for a charity, and need all the help that I can get sharing it around to reach my target.
Please share my video and campaign with your friends, families, partners, colleagues, and anyone else who you think will be able to help me out.
Please also share this page with your own social media networks, using the hashtag '#find25'. Thank you!
Help me to find £25,000 for MA African Studies @ SOAS before 25 September.
Select this reward if you just want to donate to the project without receiving a reward.
83 claimed
I will thank you for your donation on social media.
5 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 September 2017
Hyde Park Hangout! Come and hang out with me and other people who have donated, get to know everyone and feel part of the project. (Optional Google Groups Hangout for those unable to get to London. Updates to follow)
2 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 October 2017
I will send you a personalised letter of thanks for your support.
1 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 October 2017
Choose something for me to blog or vlog about. Send me your questions, a word, or a topic, and I'll produce the material.
1 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 September 2017
All of the above, and I will thank you within my final dissertation or thesis and give you access to either of my First Class, prize-winning dissertations from the University of Sussex.
0 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 September 2018
Whether you run a business, take great photographs, or do a lot of incredible work for your community, I will endorse you in a blog or vlog post and on my social media and get people talking about you.
0 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 October 2017
I will thank you within my first publishable work. (TBC) I will also meet you in London, where you get to spend time with me! I'll show you around SOAS, and if you like, show you the sights. You can pick my brains over coffee - I have a lot to say about most things!
0 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 November 2017