Wheatley backs Afghan students barred from medical studies

Students from Afghanistan are being supported in pursuing their dreams of becoming doctors, thanks to Wheatley. Seven young women in Glasgow have received upcycled iPads from the Wheatley Foundation to aid in their studies. These students are part of a group of female refugees who have come to Scotland to study after being prohibited from attending university in Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, these women had to give up their pursuit of medicine when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and restricted women’s rights. To assist these students, Wheatley Foundation has partnered with Glasgow Afghan United, a charity founded by Councillor Abdul Bostani in the Maryhill Ward of Glasgow.

Chair of Wheatley Foundation, Paddy Gray OBE, expressed, “As soon as we learned about the extraordinary journey of these young students studying in Glasgow, we were eager to offer our support. The work of Wheatley Foundation aims to empower young people in our communities to achieve their full potential.”

The Scottish Government has made amendments to student funding legislation to enable these women to be treated as home students and receive free tuition and living expenses support. The Linda Norgrove Foundation, a Scottish charity, has been providing support to these women and has secured agreements with four Scottish universities – St Andrews, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen – where the students will continue their medical degrees.

One of the students, Wazma Shafaq, expressed her gratitude, stating, “I’m really happy and we truly appreciate being invited here to receive the devices as they will greatly aid us in our studies. Most people use iPads for taking notes and accessing online resources, so it is going to make life easier.”

The iPads were donated through Wheatley Foundation’s ‘Techshare’ programme, which repurposes old staff devices. These devices, such as laptops, iPads, and tablets, help individuals get online for studying, job applications, managing welfare benefits, or staying connected with loved ones.

Councillor Abdul Bostani extended his thanks to Wheatley Foundation for their support, stating, “It was wonderful to see Wheatley stepping up and assisting some of the most vulnerable individuals in the world. The iPads will be utilised for many years to come and will be very beneficial for the girls. Organizations like Wheatley, which support communities in such ways, are greatly appreciated.”