Empowering Dreams from Zimbabwe to the University of Cambridge

ABOUT

Arthur Fletcher, the former head of the United Negro College Fund once said, " A mind is a such a terrible thing to waste ". This powerful quote holds so much value and with its poignancy, we would like to introduce you to Costa's story in his own words:

Who am I?

My name is Costa Wesele and I’m appealing for funds to raise total liability of £48,475.00 or rand equivalent of ZAR 1,116,648.53 to enroll for MPhil in Ethics of AI, Data and Algorithms at the University of Cambridge (UK) in September 2024. I hold a BSc. Honors Degree in Psychology (First Class Pass) from the University of Zimbabwe. Currently, I am an online MSc Data Science for Health & Social Care student at the University of Edinburgh where I also serve as a volunteer programme representative within the Deanery for Molecular, Genetic & Population Health Sciences. Furthermore, I am a student union member, student and staff liaison committee (SSLC) & student quality committee (SQC) and independent periodic review (IPR) committee. More so, I do partake in dual remote part-time student roles for the Usher Masters Alumni (UMA) Network as Communications Lead, Peer Support and Community Champions Coordinator concurrently for which I have been nominated for the Europe-wide Student Partnership Impact Award.

Why do I need help?

Studying at Cambridge has been my life-long dream since I decided to enroll for university education. However, a combination of factors made it an impossibility until I was offered a placement in February this year. Chief amongst them is the fact that it’s statistically improbable for somebody with a background such as mine to make it to the summit of academic food chain, let alone do so with remarkable distinction and courage. It goes without saying that having my potential recognized at Cambridge did not come on a silver platter. It took several years of determination to make it from the farming compounds and village pastoral lands where everything else grows except dreams. From walking barefoot, a minimum of 20 KM to and from school to attain primary education at an under resourced and underserved school, to completing and passing high school during the peak of economic decline in Zimbabwe did less to help someone like me who comes from an impoverished peasant family.

After scrapping through University of Zimbabwe and graduating with exceptional grades and three Book Prizes for excellent academic performance, my long term objective to study at the University of Cambridge was closer, only if my whole mighty family had not failed to raise USD 350 needed to take IELTS exam in 2016. However, I eventually managed to take the examination after having saved enough funds in 2019. After a few rejections from Cambridge between 2019-2022, I decided to re-strategized and enrolled at the University of Edinburgh so that I can strengthen my overall academic profile and eventually work towards Cambridge, my academic Graceland! However, securing enrolment at the University of Edinburgh was by no means easy because I had to utilise funds I had saved for a whole three years to just to fund for one academic year. The second academic year at Edinburgh was a nightmare as I had to fundraise, borrow, beg and everything in-between just to make it, and I did.

Around the same fundraising, borrowing and begging season, I utilised my outstanding academic records and extra-curriculum achievements from the University of Edinburgh to finally attempt Cambridge one more time. As fate would have it, I was selected amongst other exceptional students to study at Cambridge and subsequently accepted college membership at Darwin College. Amidst the euphoria and excitement of getting admission, I immediately realized that Cambridge remained a lofty dream because of my inextricable financial situation juxtaposed alongside financial obligations I have to meet in order to secure my place, and consequently my future. However, as somebody who firmly believes in the goodness of the universe, I immediately realized that I will not watch my dream die a stillbirth without having tried to ask for help from everyone who can relate with my story and would like to play a huge part in it.

How much would this help translate into?

Beyond the University of Cambridge fulfilling a personal dream and the transformative potential it comes along with, I believe accomplishing it will help fulfil my long term professional/academic goal of acquiring sought after knowledge and skills at the cross-section of expropriation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and responsible/sustainable expropriation of it within the domain of healthcare. Given how much science & technology, big data & innovation continues to shape the delivery and management of healthcare, completing this program will fit the missing piece of within my competence framework, that is sustainable and safe expropriation of AI. As my career interests are constrained within healthcare technology domains of Precision Medicine, Health Informatics, Software Development and Artificial Intelligence (AI), ethical knowledge and skills are a fundamental chunk to widespread safe adoption of these technologies within healthcare with measurable health outcomes. Given how coveted Cambridge is as a top research institute worldwide, I believe it will bestow upon me not only coveted scientific skills but also personal currency, privileges and networks I would not ordinarily benefit from studying at an unknown university elsewhere around the world. This goes without saying that I am extremely ambitious, and I believe I can get the best of my potential if I get exposed in a competitive but nurturing academic environments such as the University of Cambridge.