Summary:
500 words in English: Give reasons for applying for the OFID scholarship, explaining your educational goals, and clearly describing how you will use the experience gained from your Master's degree studies to help in the development of your home country.
OFID works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international donor community to stimulate economic growth and alleviate poverty in all disadvantaged regions of the world. It does this by providing financing to build essential infrastructure, strengthen social services delivery and promote productivity, competitiveness and trade.
why ofid needs me?
I am CDS and I graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration major in marketing management. Although it may seem far off from my chosen field, I really want to be a change maker. I see the power of business to be the driving force in developing sustainable communities; I want to share and apply my knowledge and skills to areas where these skills are needed the most, the agriculture sector in the Philippines for instance, where my first stint in development work took place.
I chose agriculture to be my focus area in development because the Philippines is primarily an agricultural country and also because there is much room for development in rural areas. We cannot deny the fact that as the population increases, so does the demand for food, which from a business perspective, opens up a large market opportunity; It can create jobs where in turn can lessen urban migration- another pressing issue linked to the development of agriculture in the Philippines.
I was fortunate enough to be part of a budding social enterprise that aims to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers. My work involved working directly with the grassroots to understand their needs and gauge their capacity, at the same time match them to a potential market not only locally but also abroad. The time that I spent working with this company challenged my views on how I think businesses should operate. This is when I realized that I want to gain a broader perspective so that I could add more value to the work. I aim to do that by pursuing further studies abroad because I want to expose myself to complex global issues, innovative models and solutions that I could somehow relate to what my country is currently facing or could potentially face in this time of globalisation.
I am planning to pursue MA in Globalisation, Business and Sustainable Development because I want to gain a global perspective on how various actors affect the whole system of development, particularly in international trade as it is a timely topic for countries in the ASEAN region. I want to know how developing countries can respond and catch up, all while maintaining inclusiveness between nations and most especially within their urban and rural communities. What can we learn from the successes and mistakes of developed countries like those in Europe?
I hope that by pursuing a social science program coupled with business, I could have an edge in advancing my career in development. If granted to be an OFID scholar, I aim to apply the skills and experience that I would acquire through my studies in the UK by joining the government service in developing policies and programs that support economic development most especially in rural areas. Our government system needs dynamic, forward thinkers that could look beyond the issue and contribute meaningful and impactful solutions. I hope that through this opportunity, I could offer those through public service.
-CDS, Philippines