Aiia Maasarwe’s family back fellowship program to honour slain student
The family of Aiia Maasarwe have thrown their support behind a new way to ensure her memory lives on, as they prepare to mark the first anniversary of her brutal murder.
VIC News
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The family of Aiia Maasarwe have thrown their support behind a new way to ensure her memory lives on, as they prepare to mark the first anniversary of her brutal murder.
Ms Maasarwe, 21, was raped and killed at Bundoora on January 16 last year. Her death shocked Victorians and was labelled “appalling” by Supreme Court judge Elizabeth Hollingworth, who sentenced killer Codey Herrmann to 36 years jail.
Gandel Philanthropy yesterday announced it was boosting the campaign to fund the Aiia Maasarwe Memorial Medical Fellowship Program with a major $50,000 dollar-for-dollar matching donation.
The initiative has the potential to raise an additional $100,000 towards a target of $200,000 to provide training for Palestinian health workers in Israeli hospitals.
Ninety thousand has been raised for the fellowship since it was launched in October.
It will provide financial support to Palestinian physicians who require training in sub specialities, so they can return to their communities and build the health capacity of Palestinian society.
The CEO of Gandel Philanthropy, Vedran Drakulic OAM, said: “The Gandel family is pleased to be able to provide support to help honour Aiia Maasarwe’s memory in a way that will enable cross-cultural training and cooperation in health between Israelis and Palestinians, and improve health outcomes for all.
“We hope this Project Rozana initiative will be a very successful one and we encourage the community to partner with us at this important time.”
Project Rozana works to create understanding and build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians through health initiatives
Mr Maasarwe said his family wants to thank all donors who have contributed to the fellowship in his daughter’s name.
“The donations will be used wisely and their impact comes at a time when we need hope and inspiration,” he said.
“My daughter would have been inspired by Project Rozana which is helping Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza to receive the same level of health care that we do in Israel,” he said.
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“Project Rozana shows that Israelis and Palestinians can live and work together in harmony, and that is also something that was important for Aiia.”
The Palestinian-Israeli exchange student was walking home and had just called her sister Ruba in Israel when Codey Herrmann struck her over the head four times before dragging her body behind a hedge where he raped her.
He struck Aiia to the head a further nine times, fracturing her skull, before fleeing the scene. Herrmann was jailed last October for 36 years for the crime.