Rising Above Adversity

Lucy Magashi is a year one HKU student majoring in biomedical engineering. Born and raised in Tanzania in Africa, Lucy grew up in a single parent family and four siblings. Throughout her childhood, she witnessed the hardships her mother had to go through to provide for their family. Motivated by her mother’s staunch work ethic and unwavering commitment to the family, Lucy learnt the importance of education as the key to success. She realised that through education she would not only be able to help her mother but also uplift her siblings. Lucy’s hard work paid off when she came second in Tanzania’s national exam.

Lucy lives by the philosophy instilled in her by her mother to approach every task with utmost dedication, and upholds this principle by giving her best in each and every task she does. Lucy’s mother said, “Either do something to the best of your ability or don’t do it at all. The outcome doesn’t matter, what matters is whether or not you gave your best.” She believes that, regardless of the outcome, as long as she has done something to the best of her ability, that is enough. She doesn’t have to succeed or achieve brilliant results; the emphasis is on the process.

On an individual level, Lucy describes herself as an ‘introverted extrovert’. She enjoys spending some time alone for reflection but is also keen on meeting new people and making new friends. Having been in HKU for the past few months, she loves spending time with the friends she has made in her dorm and exploring Hong Kong together.

Back in high school, Lucy and her friends formed the Loving Care Foundation, which aimed to raise funds for local hospitals in Tanzania. This was inspired by a personal experience that left a significant mark on her life. She recalls, “When I was young, back in Tanzania, my brother got really sick and we rushed him to the hospital. However, my mother didn’t have enough money and my brother was denied medical care. If the doctors were empathetic, my brother might have lived. This incident fuelled me to study biomedical engineering, so that no one else would be denied their basic right to healthcare.” This incident, coupled with a similar incident that happened to her cousin, drove her determination to make a difference. She and her friends started a charity in which they collected 1 million Tanzanian shillings (equivalent to about HK$3,000), which was donated to a local hospital’s intensive care unit. Lucy takes pride in the Foundation’s continuation under the leadership of her friend, Nina.

The tragic incident of her brother inspired Lucy to study biomedical engineering. Originally she was interested in established areas of engineering. However, this incident pivoted her decision, and she eventually chose this major as it combines her intellectual interest with her passion to help people. In the future, she hopes to finish her degree and pursue postgraduate studies, and that one day she can use her skills to improve and change the medical system in Tanzania for the better.