A PhD student at the University of Cambridge is working on artwork to help her pay for her studies.
27-year-old Kalifa Damani, from Trinidad and Tobago, is studying for the second year of her doctorate in educational technology at Corpus Christi College. The multi-
Talented Caribbean students have raised their childhood pastime to a new level in order to cope with expensive tuition fees.
"Art was originally a hobby," Kalifa said.
I like painting since I was a child, and I started painting when I was a teenager.
"This is my best subject at school, I am in-Level Art.
Kalifa began working as a graphic designer in a newspaper after leaving school, "not actually going to college ".
But her talent was recognized when she received a government scholarship to pay for college fees.
As a result, Califa gave up her job and received a bachelor's degree in psychology and film at the University of Western India.
She was then offered a place to pursue a master's degree in social and developmental psychology in Cambridge.
Kalifa's artistic achievements and academic ability have made her the leading role in the national media of Trinidad and Tobago.
When she appeared on the Trinidad breakfast TV, she said: "I entered social and developmental psychology, because I really want to help young people achieve the best in education and business-to be good entrepreneurs and good citizens.
But it is difficult to fund research at British universities, and Kalifa began providing her illustration services and asking for donations in April 2015.
Since then, she has completed more than 100 Commission as well as countless personal paintings in her spare time.
"I find it difficult to describe my style because I think it depends a lot on how I feel and who or what motivates me at a given moment.
"Sometimes I like to draw in a very realistic style, sometimes it's more like a child illustration, cute, whimsical, sketchy.
"People are my favorite theme, am I drawing to express my feelings or to accompany my diary entry.
"When she doesn't learn, Kalifa mainly uses tablets and stylus to make digital art for clients, a form of relaxation.
"Depicting the life around me helps me to relax and let me see my experience in Cambridge as a rich thing that will strengthen my strength as a person.
"Sometimes, in the process of creating the artwork according to the client's specifications, I realized that I liked the style they asked me to create, and therefore incorporated it into the future work.
"The Caribbean artist believes that so far she has earned between £ 10,000 and £ 15,000 from commissions and donations.
She will need £ 32,000 to cover the tuition fees for this semester, the next semester and the third and last year of her PhD.
"I want to finish my PhD next year, but unfortunately some of the big projects I rely on to make money have failed and now, I'm not sure if I can do it.
"Things didn't go as smoothly as I hoped, but I still did my best to complete the art work within the student visa and the university's permission to complete the degree.
"Because my situation has put pressure on me, it's hard for me to feel very nervous about my PhD!
My academic work went quite well.
Kalifa is currently doing a field survey for her PhD in Trinidad.
Her research center uses technology in Caribbean schools to better educate poor children.
She will return to Cambridge at the beginning of May and begin to write about her findings.
To check out more of Kalifa's artwork or delegate a work, visit her or email her at kalifadamani @ gmail. com.
You can also donate money through her.