Edeo is well educated and used to be a university lecturer at Hawassa University in Ethiopia till 2012 when he was forced to flee his home and the life he had built with years of dedication. He suffered imprisonment and torture because of his ethnicity; eventually the constant threats to his life forced him to undertake a dangerous 6-month journey which brought him to the UK. It took quite a while, but he has now been accepted as a refugee. His family, through the help of the Red Cross, recently joined him.

I was introduced to Edeo through Restore Birmingham - a charity that offers befriending to new refugees. As a university academic myself, I have been helping Edeo to start a new academic career in the UK. This would require him undertaking PhD-level studies. His research interests lies in the area of agricultural economics - a well developed field. A number of masters+PhD opportunities (that offer scholarship assistance) are suitable for him and their deadlines are fast approaching (including Economics at Aston, Warwick and Sheffield).

All Edeo needs is that initial assistance to get him started in his new life. He has to appear in the IELTS test and the GRE exam, both of which will cost about £250 each with study materials. He is very hardworking and wholly dedicated to studying to do well in these tests and to secure a scholarship place. He has already proven that he can put in the time and energy to such pass tests, having recently aced his UK driving theory test, which too was facilitated through donations.

We want to be able to help Edeo move on from the horrors of his past life and build a new, rewarding and meaningful life in the UK. He wants to be able to give back to this Country through his training and education, to become a useful citizen and living proof of the kindness and generosity of the British people.

Please donote to cover the £500 costs of his IELTS and GRE exams, and help plant his roots - thank you!