Higher education is very often the path that opens doors to future valuable careers. Every year millions of students begin their higher education in pursuit of a career of their choice. However, not all young students in the world have access to the same opportunities. While many have the choice to follow higher education studies, not all students have the resources to follow the same academic journey, specially when there is no higher education institute close to their home. This inequality in opportunities feeds the gap between countries, cultures, people, gender, etc.

During their educational journey, some enthusiastic young students with big dreams from PLOAD countries participated in different international projects and were noticed by the Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development (PLOAD) team. These students knew exactly what they wanted to study and what career they wanted to follow; however, they did not have enough money to pursue this dream. Facing this situation, we made it our mission to support these young students and to raise enough money to help them pursue a higher education and the career of their choice.

By donating to this cause, you will be part of the solution for this problem and will help to support 7 students from PLOAD countries to pursue a higher education course of their choice. By supporting these young students, you are not only supporting them, but the whole community as well by allowing the increase in the number of knowledgeable and qualified people for the promotion of the sustainable development of each country.

Your donation will be part of a fund managed by the NUCLIO Trust to support 7 students through 4 years of higher education. The totality of the amount raised will be channelled to pay the students’ tuition fees, transferred directly by NUCLIO to the higher education institutions and to support the trip, food and lodging of the students while abroad. These students will maintain a close contact with the supporting team and information about their achievements will be sent to the donors through the NUCLIO Trust newsletter.

During the school year 2020/2021, NUCLIO, in collaboration with the Principe Regional Government, the PLOAD project and the Global Science Opera initiative hosted a fund of individual donators for 3 student from Principe Island to study abroad. With the support of this fund, two of these students are currently studying at the São Tomé e Príncipe University (USTP) and the other one is at the Cape-Verde University (UniCV). With this cause we aim to collect enough funds to keep supporting these students and open the same opportunity to more students from PLOAD countries.

This cause was developed in collaboration between NUCLIO and PLOAD (Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development).

PLOAD is an initiative of the International Astronomical Union, coordinated by NUCLIO in partnership with the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Science and aims to bring development to Portuguese language countries through Astronomy. Among many of its goals, one is to support the mobility of students between higher education institutions, in these countries.

Through its development, this cause has gathered other interested sponsors that are committed with their donations and want to further promote the cause, namely the Global Hands on Universe Association and the Global Science Opera community.

Maria José Prazeres is the Principe Regional Government representative and is responsible for the support of the student applications and the selection process in the Principe Island.

PLOAD members in STP are responsible for the contacts and support of the beneficiaries’ students at São Tomé e Príncipe University.

Ivanilda Cabral is the coordinator of PLOAD in Cape-Verde and is responsible for the contacts and support of the beneficiary student on Cape Verde University.

Joana Latas is a member of NUCLIO and PLOAD and coordinator of this the cause. She is the key point in the communication between NUCLIO, PLOAD coordinators, local institutions, and beneficiary students.