In-depth

From refugee to Eton: How a scholarship transformed my life

A remarkable charity set up by a private equity executive is giving educational opportunities to bright students from some of the world's most troubled communities

Fahed went from refugee housing in Lebanon to Eton thanks to a scholarship scheme
Fahed went from refugee housing in Lebanon to Eton thanks to a scholarship scheme

Five years ago Mohamad Fahed was a Palestinian refugee with limited educational prospects. Now he is studying at University College London thanks to a remarkable scholarship scheme set up by private equity executive Patrick Smulders, a managing partner at Bregal Freshstream, and his wife.

Smulders was featured as a giver on this year's Extra Mile list for the 40 in finance that do the most to help make the world a better place. Here Fahed tells of the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" that took him from a refugee settlement in Lebanon to Eton College.

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