Help break the poverty cycle in Venezuela by providing scholarships and individualized mentorship to underprivileged college age students (individuals who live in poverty and are first generation to attend college). Currently, 60% of college age students face either not attending college or dropping out in order to work and help their families (El Nacional Feb. 26, 2018 - Encuesta de Condiciones de Vida 2017). Unless your support is provided, these students will most likely drop out of college.
Due to economic conditions, rising inflation (est. +1 Million% in 2018) and severely limited financing options, Venezuelan underprivileged students are forced to drop out of college and find a job to help their families subsist. After years of working with drop out students in poverty, we know that their chances of going back to college are minimal; our biggest challenge is to find and provide resources needed to help keep them focused on their education and to understand its long term value.
Each student receives a monthly scholarship equivalent to a minimum wage salary that helps them pay for tuition, transportation and food as well as help their families. We also assign them a volunteer mentor that take the student under his/her wing. They meet with each student regularly and stay by their side every step of the way. They also keep track of their grades, counsel them on professional and personal issues, help them find internships as well as permanent jobs once they graduate.
With over 25 years helping underprivileged students through college, our program has broken the poverty cycle for 90 families in Venezuela after they have graduated. The impact goes beyond these families and generated a virtuous circle as some volunteer mentors are now former beneficiaries of this program. We currently provide scholarships to 60 underprivileged students, although we may be forced to significantly reduce scholarships if we are unable to raise enough funds in the academic year.
