100% of your scholarship money goes to the girls, not corporate structure. This is our pledge to you!
GODPARENT / GODFAMILY / GODGROUP ANGELS
Godparent scholarships give Spirit girls love, hope, opportunity and respect. One of the ways we do that is through scholarships. We hope you will have a desire to make a difference in the life of a girl and provide a scholarship for one today.
The girls write it is wonderful to know that someone, without knowing them or having the obligation, cares and believes in them. Your gift has tremendous impact in validating young women who often grow up hearing how worthless they are.
HOW MUCH DOES THE SCHOLARSHIP COST?
The much reduced 2010 cost is:
$800 for 2010 scholarships to private high school and University.
$475 for the governmental high school program in accounting only.
We have changed the pricing policy due to major changes in government pricing. Pricing is now two tiered. The overall drop in cost from 2009, is due to the falling Guatemalan currency (down 12% from the January 2009 high).
Our pledge to you is that all scholarship money goes to the scholarship girls. There are no overheads, other than about $1.50 per month per girl for our local management to cover their phone, transportation, etc expenses. Our managers provide an amazing array of help from arranging hospital care, doling out equipment, internet access (electricity costs), visiting distant homes when needed, etc. They are invaluable to the program.
We would like to have a 3 year commitment for high school and 6-7 year commitment for university from our Godparent Angels to allow our girls to complete their education. We have increased the University term by one year to allow for another recent change:
Girls attended 5-6 years of classes, followed by 9 month plus doing their thesis. They now have the option of taking half their master's level classes in place ot the thesis. All scholarships are 100% tax deductible.
The cost of a scholarship depends on the US dollar and inflation in Guatemala. As we try not to overcharge sponsors, we likewise do not stockpile sponsor money. Therefore, in the future, we will continue to pass on currency and cost changes to the godparents.
WHAT DOES THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDE?
1) Yearly registration and tuition at a High School or University.
2) School uniforms- for high schools
3) English classes, equipment and supplies; each girl receives a full set of equipment, including a CD player and ESL disks, study book, Basic English reference book, a distionary and very study aids.
4) Transportation
5) Some school supplies
6) Computers and computer internet access. Our goal to have a laptop in each home has been met.
7) Dental care for your girl and other medical care as needed.
Spirit also provides the following as fund raising money permits.
AM I THE ONLY SPONSOR FOR EACH GIRL?
Yes, Spirit assigns only one sponsor per girl. Godparents can be individuals, families or groups that you organize. You will receive monthly emails from your becada. This will allow you to share in your girl’s dreams and successes, as well as reinforce their need for English.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Giving a gift where most needed is a great way to provide help to some of the world’s most vulnerable girls. Your gift to Spirit Education Foundation’s general fund allows us to respond to additional needs of our girls- English reading books, computers and computer programs, medical care, shipping for donations of clothes, shoes, dental supplies, etc.
Send an amount that is right for you and help us change the future of our girls.
A STORY OF HOPE
SCHOLARSHIP PAYMENTS
Guatemalan schools operate on a calendar year. The tuition for the respective semesters must arrive in early December and June. Therefore we ask that you send your scholarship money as follows:
100% by December 1st
OR
50% by December and June 1st.
BECADA LIVES AND HOMES
A MAJOR OBJECTIVE IS TO INVESTIGATE THE HOMES AND FAMILIES, FOR REASONS OF:
1) The mothers have been in favor of education for their daughters. This has not always been true for the fathers who want the income from their undereducated daughters. Discussing economics has helped to change this attitude: do they want to retire on theit daughter's 700 quetzales ($88) per month or Q5000 plus? Their daughter gains value as education has value.
2) Determine the family's economic situation. Most families are experiencing dropping incomes. Spirit needs to know what we need to do to support the scholarship girl to keep her in school.
THE HOMES:
a single room to several tiny rooms
dirt floors to cement floors
cement block to a few scraps of lumber and sheet metal
NO interior plumbing, sporadic running village water or a well
OUR FAMILIES' Incomes range from $60 to $200 with 3-10 family members living together.
80% of Guatemalans suffer from malnutrition. Ours families are in this group
They lose infant teeth by 4 years and adult teeth by 15 years
It has been a huge family sacrifice to attend middle school
They have not had school books
Bus fare to school costs up to $2.75 per day
Parents and older siblings earn $3.25-4.00 per day, when they can work. There is not job security.
A pizza costs $17
A gallon of gas costs $3.75
A pound of chicken $1.75
Hilda's outdoor kitchen
Blanca's one room house
Many students take years to gather enough money to pay for their education. Girls from rural communities rarely have even this possibility, due to lack of jobs and family and social pressures.
Glendy wanted an education so badly, that she walked 5 miles to catch a 1/2 hour bus to search the streets for the "scholarship lady". She found me at 4PM. Throughout her High School years, she walked the 10 mile round trip daily. Through the effort of Glendy as a few other pioneers, the village has a once daily truck for students.
She believes her Godmothers are her special Angels, someone who believes in her.
Sandra's home business: snow cones and chips
