Second year MPharm student Onyoda Daujah, applied for a Hope Winch Benevolence award to help ease financial stress and allow her to focus on her studies. The 20-year-old was awarded £1,000 from the fund, which provides annual scholarships to current undergraduate pharmacy students who may be experiencing serious financial challenges impacting upon their academic potential.
Onyoda lost her job during the early stages of the pandemic and was getting by on savings. Her family supported in ways they could, but she was still in a difficult position. Then she found out about the Hope Winch fund.
"I received an email about the Hope Winch Benevolence Scholarship and decided to apply," says Onyoda. "To this day, I am thankful that I did because being awarded the money helped me a lot. I was able to afford living costs, including transportation, food, and rent until I was able to get another job.
“DOSH was created for students who are in need of money – if they apply, they might get it, as long as they are honest about their financial situation.
"I am grateful and would like to say thank you to the people who contributed money to assist students like myself during times of financial hardship because they have made a positive impact in our lives".
Onyoda, who is originally from Nigeria, hopes to work in hospital pharmacy and start a family once she graduates. Speaking about her student experience so far she says: “I’ve really enjoyed meeting new people. This has given me the opportunity to learn about other cultures and ideas that I did not imagine to exist”.