I was reminded of the old English proverb, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” when I heard about the young Egyptian fresca (candy) seller.
This young man, despite his difficult conditions, and in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, scored 99.6 per cent marks in his high school diploma. He now plans to study medicine and specialise in general surgery.
This gentleman drew praise on social media from across the spectrum not only because of his academic achievement but also due to his never say die attitude and taking challenges head on. Most importantly, he refused to let his dream die and even helped his father sell fresca.
This is a wonderful example our present generation should emulate more so because we all know many lack spirit. Of course, there are successful stories and examples, I just took this experience as one of them.
I also applaud the initiative of an Egyptian telecom company to help this young man fulfil his dream. I am sure that the company took the best advantage of the situation and reported an increase in sales. We should also commend the initiative of the Higher Education Minister who stepped in to grant the student admission into the College of Medicine.
These philanthropic and humanitarian initiatives must be applauded by the media, not only to improve the image of institutions but also to encourage others to implement them as part of their community social responsibility (CSR) policy.
There are many such success stories in different fields in Bahrain but unfortunately there is no proper support. Such talents, if properly exploited, would enable us to discover hidden energies and talents and the results would benefit everyone. It is apparent many did not get enough opportunities to flourish and pursue higher studies due to a lack of finances and as a result of insufficient budget allocation by the Education Ministry.
I have said previously and reiterate that we do not pay enough attention to this aspect. Through this platform, I call for increased annual budget allocation to outstanding students to continue their university studies. This will enable them and their families to fulfil their dreams.
I hope the ministry will take the necessary measures to achieve this goal, with the support of the legislative authority. This should be the main strategy in making Bahrain fulfil its 2030 Economic Vision.