A year ago 19 female medical students arrived in Scotland from Afghanistan to complete their studies. Today many of them attended a reception invited by UK Government Minister, Kirsty McNeill to Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh.
The women had to end their education in Afghanistan owing to restrictions imposed by the Taliban, but now they have completed a year of studying medicine at five Scottish universities – Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews.
The support they have received from the UK and Scottish Governments has been augmented by assistance from the trustees of the Linda Norgrove Foundation who had worked for three years on helping the students come to Scotland.
The women had been confined to their homes in Afghanistan and were unable to fulfil long held dreams of becoming doctors, but they are now well on their way.
The Foundation’s John Norgrove explained that they have had their challenges and things have only got worse for those left in Afghanistan.
He said: “It has been a privilege to see our students return to their education and enjoy the freedom offered by life here in Scotland. It’s hard to describe how much they have had to deal with. Not only the language, but the way they teach is very different and in terms of day to day life they’ve had to learn everything from how to get on a train to how our supermarkets work. Their determination to cope with all this upheaval yet continue their studies has been a joy to behold and I applaud their courage.
“Their story last year inspired so many, at a time when the Taliban were introducing ever tighter controls on women, and it has helped us continue our mission to support women and children in Afghanistan. And the situation for women and children in Afghanistan has deteriorated sharply.
“The economic situation is desperate with hunger widespread, made much worse by the forcible return of Afghans from surrounding countries Pakistan and Iran.
“After having fled wars over the past 40 years, many have never lived in Afghanistan but now they are being forced across the borders in huge numbers to a country where 3.5 million children and 1 million pregnant/breastfeeding women already face acute malnutrition. These folk have no jobs, no houses, no land. There’s no safety net to prevent them from starving. The stories we hear are heartbreaking and we’ll continue to do everything we can to help.”
UK Government Minister Kirsty McNeill said: “It’s wonderful to see how these remarkable young women have flourished during their first year in Scotland. Their successful transition to studying medicine at universities across Scotland demonstrates the power of determination and collaboration.
“A year ago, we welcomed them as they began this new chapter of their lives, and I am delighted to meet them again a year on and hear about how they have made Scotland their home. The Linda Norgrove Foundation’s unwavering commitment to bringing these women to Scotland has truly transformed lives, and it’s been a privilege for myself, and the Scotland Office, to work alongside the Scottish Government and the Foundation to make this possible.”
She explained the nature of the cooperation between the various groups involved: “This whole programme is a tripartite relationship between The Scottish Government, the UK Government, and the Linda Norgrove Foundation. The Foundation have paid for the flights and so on, the Scottish Government have changed their regulations so that they could be treated as home students and their fees covered, and the UK Government has taken charge of all the administrative work around relationships internationally and getting their visas.”
Farzana Matin a trustee of the Linda Norgrove Foundation explained that the Foundation founders, John and Lorna Norgrove were not able to be present in Edinburgh as their flight had been cancelled due to weather.
She said it was unbelievable that the year had passed so quickly and that the students are now well settled. She said: “I am sure that this has been a challenging year for all of you to begin a new chapter with all of your studies, and that you have all made great progress in the last year. We are all looking forward to your news in the future.”
On behalf of John Norgrove, Farzana thanked everyone who had donated to the foundation and both governments for their support as well as the Scottish medical schools who have been very supportive to the students. She mentioned in particular Jane Cumming who hosted the students last Christmas.
Scottish Government Education Secretary, Jenny Gilruth, who was not at the reception, said: “Scotland has a proud history of welcoming people from across the world who need support and it is fantastic that these extraordinary women are reflecting positively after a year of studying here. I wish them all the best with their continuing studies and hope to meet with them again soon.
“I am proud that they can access the same benefits as their peers, including free tuition and student support, as they take forward their studies at our outstanding medical schools.”
UK Government Minister Kirsty McNeill with the students
One of the students addressed the reception explaining it is a reminder of the new opportunity she has had in the last year
Farzana Matin a trustee of the Linda Norgrove Foundation
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
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