The power of partnership and the gift of volunteerism are hallmarks of the story of Deba A. and Freshta H., now Master of Laws candidates at Universitas Islam in Indonesia. Last summer, AFSO established an informal partnership with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights which resulted in an offer for AFSO students with Bachelor of Laws degrees to apply for a full scholarship forged through partnership between RWI and Universitas Islam, a key research university in Indonesia. AFSO accepts university-eligible students at all levels, and we had ten students who possessed an undergraduate law degree. But with a tight deadline and no guidance counselor on staff, we turned to one of our supporters, Elizabeth, a retired lawyer with a deep commitment to young women.
With Elizabeth’s help, students crafted their letters of motivation, studied for and passed Duolingo tests, practiced for and underwent a series of online interviews. In her letter, Freshta wrote, “I want to help my community, especially women, understand and claim their rights for themselves, rather than simply giving them those rights. I have learned that perhaps 80 percent of women do not know their rights, even among those who are educated, which makes them vulnerable to violations.” And Deba wrote, “Early in my life, I realized that I should be the person who would work for social welfare and as an advocate for people in need of justice and the exercise of their human rights.”
Out of hundreds of applicants, Deba and Freshta are now among a dozen women starting their two-year program at Universitas Islam. Their future is opening up before them, thanks to their hard work and the alliances among partners.
