A day in the life of Marwa Biala

Dr Marwa Biala (2020, MSc Radiation Biology) is Somerville’s inaugural Sanctuary Scholar for 2020-21. Formerly a radiologist at Tripoli University Hospital, she is currently studying from her home in Tripoli, with plans to travel to Somerville as soon as circumstances permit.

I usually wake at around 8:30. I put the kettle on for my first cup of tea and drink a glass of water while looking out of the window. I am currently in Tripoli-Libya, where the British embassy’s services have been suspended due to the civil war. I use this quiet time to think about the academic work I must do that day, as well as what news the day might bring regarding my plans to get a visa.

At 9am, I log on for my first lecture. I’m currently studying towards the one year Radiation Biology MSc. At the moment, I am able to work from home, because the power is quite good right now.

This is not always true – when I started my course back in October, we had blackouts up to 16 hours a day. The only way I could attend my lectures and tutorials was by going to a special centre for students and doctors, where there is a generator so we can study in a quiet environment with internet access. Most days, I work solidly until midday. At midday, I take a break for lunch, which I eat with my family. There are six of us at home: my mother and father, my sister and my two brothers. If the weather is warm, we’ll eat something simple like couscous with green salad. In winter,

The thing I miss most about exploring my city is the people. The people of Tripoli love life and always find a way to enjoy it in spite all the hard times they have been through.

we have food that will warm us like the traditional pasta with lamb called rishta.

Often while I eat, I check the news on my phone. I am looking to see if the situation at the border has changed. Libyans usually travel to Tunisia to apply for UK visas, but the LibyaTunisia border is currently closed because of the pandemic. There have been rumours that the border will open again soon, which means I could travel to Tunisia for a visa. If that doesn’t happen, I will have to travel to Turkey in December and apply there.

After lunch, I do more work. Sometimes while I work I find it difficult to believe that I am really studying at Oxford – even working remotely like this, the whole thing feels like a dream.

I remember when I applied, I kept thinking, who am I to apply for Oxford and why would they ever accept me? It’s so prestigious and they have all these highly-qualified students from much better universities, while I’m from a developing country with an ongoing civil war and limited facilities.

Several months after my initial application, just as I was beginning

Marwa in front of the National Museum, Tripoli Marwa preparing for fieldwork evaluating psychosocial support for the children of displaced families as a volunteer with Terre de Hommes.

to think it was all a fantasy, I found out that I had been awarded the Somerville Sanctuary Scholarship. I will never forget that day. I opened the email and my heart started racing, I had butterflies in my stomach and I started jumping for joy, truly I did.

I sometimes take a nap before starting my evening work. In the past, I used to go for a walk at this time, but Covid-19 has changed all that. The beginning of the pandemic coincided with an escalation in the civil war, which led to a lot of stress and anxiety. We have had many lockdowns, but the other measures we have taken have not been enough, and thousands have died. The thing I miss most about exploring my city is the people. The people of Tripoli love life and always find a way to enjoy it in spite all the hard times they have been through. They are also very good-natured and kind; if you ever have a problem, you will always find someone wanting to help you. After my nap, I work until around 9pm, either taking notes from lecture recordings or watching YouTube videos on topics I want to understand better. After that, I spend time with the great support in my life, my family. They have always been there for me and I want so much to make them proud, so that one day I can return even a little of what they have been through for me.

But we don’t need to say all this! Often it is enough just to chat over dinner and perhaps watch a movie before we go to bed around 11pm.

Before I go to sleep, I read any new emails and social media notifications from my friends, and plan the next day in my head. Sometimes I think even further ahead and imagine what it will be like finally to arrive

in Oxford. I’ve always loved cold weather, so I imagine wrapping up warm and walking with my friends to take pictures of all the beautiful old buildings, especially the Radcliffe Camera. I dream about sharing these pictures with my family, in the hope that one day we will be able to see these places together. Then I sleep.

If you would like to support the Somerville Sanctuary Scholarship, please contact sara.kalim@some.ox.ac.uk.

Marwa at her graduation ceremony