Grameen Foundation : Resource Center : Print Newsletter : Fall 2003 : The Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Program
The Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Program
Grameen Shikkha, a member of the Grameen Family of Companies, was founded with the knowledge that, when combined with microcredit, education can accelerate the poverty reduction process. Grameen Shikkha recently launched a new Scholarship Program, profiled below, to help poor students (many of them children of Grameen borrowers) achieve their educational goals.
Shimul Sarker is an eighth grade student who attends high school in rural Faridpur, a district in southwestern Bangladesh. She and the eleven other members of her family live in a tin house with a dirt floor and survive on the meager earnings of her father, who runs a tiny tea stall. Shimul is a dedicated and accomplished student ranked second in her class, but her family is too poor to finance her education through high school and beyond.
Shimul's case is not unusual in Bangladesh. In fact, it is the norm. Many children never get the chance to complete their schooling due to a lack of resources. Often they must drop out at a young age and begin working to support their families. Girls are often pulled out of school because of the belief that educating girls is a waste and may even endanger their chances of a successful marriage.
But thanks to the newly formed Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Program, Shimul will not be forced to abandon her education. As the first scholarship recipient in this program, she will receive 250 taka (about five dollars) every month - which represents the amount of money that stands between her and entering the ninth grade. Shimul is receiving the Giasuddin Ahmed & Nurunnahar Khatun Scholarship, as is another impoverished student from Faridpur. This scholarship was made possible by Hasin Ahmed, a retired government officer who lives in Dhaka, and is named after his late parents. Scholarships and financial assistance will be provided to poor students studying at any level of education- from primary to post graduate-as well as students pursuing education in the information technology (IT) field. The program will also identify and financially support boys and girls with talents in athletics and the performing arts.
The Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Program represents a unique chance for individuals who have benefited financially from educational opportunities they have had to open those same doors for others. Scholarships require a gift of at least 50,000 taka (about $882), which can be designated to a particular educational institution or deployed (according to greatest need) at the discretion of Grameen Shikkha. A sponsor may continue his or her fund in perpetuity or discontinue the fund after five years and withdraw the principal amount in local currency.
Though the dollar amount is small, the impact that a scholarship like this can have on a young life is immeasurable. No doubt future generations of Bangladeshi teachers, doctors, and leaders will trace their success to this scholarship program and the generosity of sponsors around the world.
To participate in the Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Program, checks should be sent to "Grameen Shikkha Head Office, Grameen Bank Complex, Mirpur 2, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh." A contract will be signed between the sponsor and Grameen Shikkha after Grameen Shikkha has received the fund in its account. Since it is not recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit organization, donations to Grameen Shikkha are not tax deductible in the U.S.
DID YOU KNOW? According to UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank:
More than 113 million children in the developing world do not have access to basic education. Sixty percent of these are girls.
Approximately 120 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work full-time. If the number of children working part-time is included, this number rises to 250 million.
Just one or two years of schooling for mothers reduces child deaths by 15%.
Grameen Foundation : Resource Center : Print Newsletter : Fall 2003 : The Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Program
Grameen Foundation uses microfinance and innovative technology to fight global poverty and bring opportunities to the world's poorest people. With tiny loans and financial services, we help the poor, mostly women, start businesses and escape poverty. Our global network of 55 microfinance institution (MFI) partners including our Growth Guarantee partners has touched more than 34 million people in 24 countries. In addition, we introduced and now sustain technology initiatives (Mifos and Village Phone) in Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, bringing our total country outreach to 28.
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