go fund me

"Dear friends, dear world,

My name is Marilú Mapengo Námoda. I am a Mozambican feminist activist and artist. I was admitted for the MA program DAI Art Praxis at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Netherlands and "surprisedly" I couldn't find scholarships that support Art studies. So here I ask for your financial support to make it possible and also to reaffirm together to the world how essential art is for the well being of any society.  

Since April I found myself in an infinite saga looking for a scholarship. Yes, there are many scholarships/loans available for African students, but they are basically oriented for the Development Agenda kind of courses (economics, oil and gas, public health...). In other words, the concept of Development that embroils the West-Africa-West political relations don't consider Art as a worth investing area! So, at this point I have until the 31st of July - to pay the amount of € 22.116 for my studies.

This total required amount is distributed in the following way:
-  € 10’770 -  for the ArtEZ institutional tuition fees for non-EU/EEA 2020-2021. Due to a government enforcement this amount was recently raised by 40%. We as DAI students are fighting against the raise of the tuition fees for non-EU students and stand with us against this measure by signing our petition here: http://chng.it/LVTDcnTvnT 

 - The amount of  € 11’346 - is for the costs of registration in the Netherlands & visa applications as a financial guarantee that is required to prove to the migration system that I can support myself financially in the Netherlands for the upcoming academic year. 

Friends, it is 2020 and education is still a privilege designed for few. I am intending to study and for that I end up facing a whole architecture of injustice where I had to extensively search for scholarships, extensively contact institutions that supposedly support artists / women - so far some didn't even reply and others gave me that empty institutional kind of response. And then finally I am here after almost 2 months developing some fundraising skills! Well, I am exhausted! 

As African there is a historical relation with the idea of being "helped" and this ties many layers into this action. The oppression makes us feel guilty for needing help and worried to not reproduce the stereotype when at the same time I find myself really needing for support. To be here now writing to you in such a vulnerable position feels like touching simultaneously the polarities of trauma and cure, exhaustion and relief... I had to remember that the stereotype actually exists because indeed there is an impoverishment political project in place. I am not "bothering" people because I am poor. I am questioning and visibilising oppressive structures that reproduce poverty as a "punishment" for certain bodies and that indeed bothers. The global wealth is poorly and unfairly distributed and quality educational institutions are designed to exclude non-white, non-european, non-male, non-heterossexual bodies.

This fundraising campaign went through different formats/stages according to my discomfort of being in such a position. At some point I was even taking it as loans and I promised to refund any (individual/institution) who would trust me this loan. But today I regret that because I have accepted that as everyone does I deserve to study and chill. I wouldn't like to put myself in a situation where I MUST work hard to pay everyone while also studying. YES! I do deserve to rest, my body, my dearest black female body deserves rest. And I already pushed more than enough of my physical and emotional boundaries in this process. In fact, I have gone too far to give up now, I have proven talent and potential through the admission process so it's not acceptable to miss this opportunity for financial reasons.  

So, please support only if you believe in this cause and want to fight with me. I count on you all to make it happen!  I am sorry for sending such a request in the current global context but just can't postpone this opportunity. And please, be conscious that each coin is valuable.

Finally I deeply would like to thank all friends from Mozambique and abroad who have been immensely supportive through this hard but beautiful process as well! I can't nominate you all but, you know, lots and lots of love. Also want to thanks the organisations that have at least replied my emails, especially to the DAI program people who have been actively participating through this journey.

go fund me

Sincerely,

Marilú Mapengo Námoda

26/05/2020 Maputo, Moçambique "

 Information about tuition fees non-European passportholders wishing to study with DAI.