Massey University student Waiata Geddes receives Hamza Mustafa bursary

Bursary recipient Waiata Geddes (left) and Salwa Mohamed, mother of Hamza Mustafa who was killed in the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack. Photo / Supplied

Massey University veterinary science student Waiata Geddes is the first recipient of the Hamza Mustafa Memorial Bursary.

The bursary honours Year 12 student Hamza Mustafa, who was killed in the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019.

Hamza had aspirations of becoming a veterinarian.

Fourth-year student Geddes was presented with the bursary during an emotional ceremony at Wharerata in Palmerston North on August 11. Hamza's mother Salwa Mohamed attended the ceremony along with her children Zina and Zaid. Representatives from the Manawatū Muslim community also attended.

The bursary is awarded by the University Scholarships Committee on the recommendation of the Veterinary Programme Management Committee. The criteria for the award was determined in conjunction with Mohamed, with a key component being promoting the importance of inclusivity in the veterinary profession.

Geddes says she felt honoured to be the first recipient of such a special award.

"Considering how important this scholarship is for Hamza's family, the Muslim community and the veterinary profession, receiving the award and meeting Hamza's family was a momentous occasion that I will never forget. Hamza will always be an inspiration to me and will undoubtedly be in my heart as I go through my career."

Geddes says she will put the bursary towards travel costs associated with practical placements required during the summer holidays, as well as workwear and other gear she requires.

Mohamed says it meant a lot she was able to attend the first scholarship presentation in person.

"I had a lot of mixed feelings; happiness, sadness, gratitude, a little stress, and pride. However, what I felt the most was love from everyone in the room. It's a great initiative by the university to memorialise my son in such a wonderful way."

Mohamed expressed her heartfelt thanks to those who had made the scholarship a reality.

Vet school staff members Dr Kate Hill and Eloise Jillings were the driving forces behind fundraising and organising the bursary in Hamza's name.

"Hamza dreamed of being a vet, and now this scholarship in his memory will help others achieve that goal," Jillings says.

"Having Salwa and her children present, as well as Waiata's whānau, was incredibly special. It felt like a real bond was forged between these two whānau, and demonstrated the aroha and understanding that we need more of in Aotearoa."

The essay Geddes wrote about inclusion in the veterinary profession, and her experiences as a Māori veterinary student, as part of her application really stood out and resonated with Hamza's story, Jillings says.

The Mustafa family were Syrian refugees in Jordan for five years before moving to New Zealand in 2018. Hamza's father Khaled Alhaj Mustafa, a farrier, was also killed in the terrorist attack.