Help Needed - Scholarship Coordinator - Caminando de la Paz
Through the Caminando Por La Paz initiative, Affiliate Ron Covey has dedicated many years of his life providing education to Guatemalan children living in among the most marginalized barrios. He is asking for someone in the U.S. (he has gifted Guatemalans to help in country) to coordinate a student scholarship program. Ron’s write-up follows.
If you are considering helping in this regard and would like more information about the program, contact Ron Covey at: rocovey@yahoo.com
Caminando Student Scholarship Program
Several years ago, I initiated a scholarship program for Caminando Por La Paz. The basic idea was to raise additional funds. The thinking was to provide funds above those generally received and to earmark those funds for the education of additional children in our program area. Tutoring is open to any child in the neighborhood thus the idea here is to put more children in local schools. Most of the area children do not attend any school.
Unfortunately, I never fully developed the program. At this point I am hopeful that an individual or perhaps a Maryknoll affiliate group will decide to take charge and provide the time and energy needed to fully develop this important program.
I believe there exist numerous mission programs dedicated to education. Such programs generally have scholarship programs which can serve as a model for this program. The main elements of such programs are simple. (1) identify appropriate recipients, arrange, and monitor their progress. People on the Guatemalan end would assure sponsors receive periodic updates on the progress of their student, along with a couple of times a year a letter or e-mail from their student.
I realize that some people have concerns regarding language. Most of our current sponsors do not speak Spanish. The letters are generally written in Spanish but are translated via google. Translate. This translation can be done on either end.
The role on the U.S. end would be first and foremost to utilize advertising, such as articles in our e-news and website to locate sponsors, assure that sponsor needs are met.
The fees currently are $600 per year or $50. Per month are collected and forward to the US non-profit for deposit in the programs account (Payment via PayPal would simplify this effort but checks could be received and forwarded for deposit.
This is but a general outline of the scholarship effort. The individual or group accepting this responsibility would be given a free hand by the program to develop their own systems for operating the program.
Also see: https://www.fathertomsmission.org/sponsor-a-child.html