DUBAI Two bright Pakistani sisters studying in a UAE university fear they will have to give up their dream of becoming doctors due to lack of funds.
Sidra Shah, 24, who earned 100 per cent Grade Point Average (GPA) in the fourth semester, is now in her fifth year of MBBS course while Fatima, two years younger, is a third year student at the university’s dental college. They face a grim future as their father’s construction business in Fujairah has run into problems and all responsibilities for their studies have fallen on their shoulders.
Face suspension
Sidra, who like Fatima was born and raised in Fujairah, says she has raised over Dh200,000 – about Dh150,000 in personal loans, Dh50,000 from a local company and Dh10,000 from a charity organisation – yet she has to pay another Dh38,500 by the first week of May or face suspension from the university. “They had been kind to me for all these years, letting me sit for exams, but now they have served me an ultimatum. If I don’t pay this money by the May 4 deadline, I risk losing everything I strived for over the last eight semesters. After two semesters I was looking forward to join a hospital and here I am staring at blankness,” said Sidra, the fourth of 12 siblings in a family of 14 originally from Peshawar.
“I work really hard to sustain myself and pay the rent of the small studio apartment my sister and I have been renting out close to the campus, but I can never pay the tuition fees by all means,” added Sidra, who works part-time as a beauty and fashion stylist to meet her day-to-day expenses.
“Things wouldn’t have come to this had my father’s business not slumped. There was a time when we were really well off and he got us this far, but now because of the family’s situation I cannot ask for a single penny from him,” said Sidra who harbours dreams of becoming a neurologist.
Circumstances have forced Fatima too to take up part-time jobs at exhibitions and malls. “There are days when I can’t even get two hours of sleep after a 14-hour shift in Dubai as I have to attend a morning class,” said Fatima who had to take loans from friends to pay for her third year tuition fees. “My studies and grades have suffered a lot because of the strain and there are times when I just can’t carry on any longer,” she said.
If you wish to help the Shah sisters write to editor@xpress4me.com
