From our Newsletter - Hawa Jallow: Profile of a Scholarship Recipient

In 2007, Friends of Penyem made it a priority to continue our efforts to extend scholarships to deserving students within Penyem village. This year, with the help of our generous donors, we were thrilled to support eleven students in their studies with scholarships for the 2007 – 2008 school year. Our scholarship recipients are pursuing studies in a range of areas, such as nursing, teaching, and law – all with the intention of using the skills they develop to give back to the village in a substantial way.

Hawa Jallow is one of our scholarship recipients this year. Hawa was born in Penyem Village, and lives in a house with her parents, one brother, and one sister. Her parents are farmers, and according to Howa, “Me and my family receive money through farming. We grow crops during the rainy season and when they are ripe we harvest them and sell them to earn our annual income." This income, however, was not enough to support her education expenses, so Ms. Jallow applied for a Friends of Penyem scholarship. She is now enrolled in the Management Development Institute in Kanifig, with the goal of completing courses up to the Graduate Diploma Level.

Hawa Jallow has big hopes for her village, and wants to contribute to the development of Penyem. Among her thoughts, Ms. Jallow would like to operate a credit union in the village, where she will employ residents of Penyem. In addition, she wants to introduce a Rural Development Association that will focus on health, education and business issues within the village. Completing her courses is the first step necessary for Hawa to achieve her goal of running a business, and Friends of Penyem is delighted to support her in her journey.