Assist a Student - An Education Scholarship Program Aimed at Breaking The Cycle of Poverty

Assist a Student  A program of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia co‐ ordinated by the National Overseas Workgroup (NOW).

 Donations from Australians are used to provide education scholarships for students across partner countries in Asia & the Pacific regardless of religion, creed or background.

National Overseas Workgroup  Tony Muir

Vice President of National Council & National Twinning Officer

 Br. Doug Walsh

Assist a Student (AAS) Co‐ordinator & National Projects Officer

 John O’Brien

Chairperson of both the Victorian State Overseas, Partnership & Development Committee & the Panasco VII Working Committee

 Danusia Kaska

National Overseas Partnership & Development Officer

 Kim Watson

National Administration Officer of Overseas Partnership & Development

Facts about the Assist a Student Program  Assist a Student is a national education project.  This is one of the most sought after projects by our partner countries, as education is now widely acknowledged as a way out of poverty.  Throughout the Asia Pacific region there are many thousands of families unable to afford basic education.

Facts about the Assist a Student Program  Demand for this project far exceeds our capacity to supply scholarships.  In 2008 the National Council, via support from all the States, offered in excess of 7,000 scholarships.  70% of the current scholarships have been funded by public donations.

Why Assist a Student?

The homes of children in the Philippines.

 Australian St Vincent de Paul Society members assist in a partnership with poorer countries in our region, which is the Oceanic/Pacific region.

Poor Thai farming village dwellings

Children of East Timor in their village

More homes of the students

The poverty that prevents education

Why Assist a Student?  Many students in our partner countries cannot attend school because their families need assistance for the fees for tuition, uniforms, books, transport etc., or the students have to work to help support their families.

Many of the students chosen to be supported have suffered personally through the death or serious illness of one or both parents, or have been orphaned & now live with their extended family, or live with unemployed people who don’t have the means to support them.

Why Assist a Student?  We believe that education is a way to break the poverty cycle by empowering future generations to help themselves become self sufficient.

Why Assist a Student?  Through education, a young person’s opportunity of gaining useful employment is greatly improved. This means that they are able to support themselves & their families in the future.

Why Assist a Student?  The program directly benefits families in need & whole communities.

Benefits of the program  Provides basic education which may otherwise be denied.  Widens career options.

 Assists in attaining self sufficiency in families & the community.

Young women being empowered through education

Practical & life‐giving  Practical & life‐giving, it is a way Vincentians can show respect for the dignity of people in development, share their hope, & encourage them to control their own destiny.

AAS in the Philippines

...and the homes of the students in their village

Countries where we assist?

How the AAS program works  Throughout partner countries, local St Vincent de Paul Society members select students from families in need to be supported by the program.  The members in these partner countries choose the neediest of students to receive the subsidies for their education. By doing this we are empowering them with the autonomy to support their own people.

How the AAS program works  The members in the partner countries send names of students to be supported to the Australian St Vincent de Paul Society.  The Australian members fundraise the money required for the scholarships & then they are sent to the partner countries.  The students are given the subsidies for their studies, which is for one year, & the money donated contributes to their educational needs.

How the AAS program works  The program includes students at all levels – from primary, secondary & post‐secondary.  Scholarships are allocated across the countries to ensure fair distribution.  100% goes towards the students’ education needs ‐ including course/tuition fees, uniforms, books, transport etc.

Small beginnings...  The Assist a Student program was first started to financially support an Indian technical trade scheme.  The amount donated was $70 from each supporter & this allowed the St Vincent de Paul Society in India to assist more poor families.  In 2000‐2001 the response from Australians was so encouraging that the National Council of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia introduced the program to all its partner countries.

Small beginnings...  Other partner countries in our region quickly put into place a structure that would allow the poor families to receive the scholarship money & be monitored accordingly.  The partner countries demonstrated how funds were distributed, & documented where the students had come from & the courses or level they were studying.  The Assist a Student program has made an immense difference to so many young students in these countries.

Not only is India benefiting, but through the co‐ operation of our partner countries, all our partner countries are now able to attempt to eradicate poverty through education.

Stories from the assisted students

A supported student The man in this photo was a student supported by the AAS program. He has now joined the Society. Boban studied & completed his teaching degree, thanks to the support of the Assist a Student program, & is now working as a zoology teacher. Boban is a Vincentian member, part of the St. Francis Xavier Conference in Kerala State, India.

A supported student  This man & his son are also from Kerala State in India. The father, Martin, is currently continuing his studies in engineering ‐ thanks to the support of the Assist a Student program.  Martin is in his final year of study & when he finishes he will be able to obtain an engineering job, which means he will be able to support his family & community. Martin is also a Vincentian member.

Thankful parents This elderly couple in southern India feel very blessed to have had children supported by the Assist a Student program, as they are very poor & would not have been able to afford their children an education. This is their very simple house that they live in.

East Timor Children with disabilities in East Timor, who would not normally have had an opportunity to attend school or to an education, are being supported by the Assist a Student program. The staff of the school working with the students are using the money from the AAS program to its best advantage for the students.

East Timor The staff buy uniforms, shoes, bags, stationery, pay school fees, pay for transport to & from school etc. as the needs are for each student. East Timor is recognised as the poorest country in Asia, with mainly subsistence farmers who would not usually be able to afford their children's school fees etc.

East Timor The students, families, staff & community who have received the Assist a Student donated scholarships are extremely appreciative for the opportunities they have been granted; their gratitude is unable to be expressed in words!

Child exploitation  Millions of children from poverty stricken families are without education or skill & are suffering immensely.  In Pakistan, more than 60% of the population consists of children less than 14 years of age.  The general uncertainty & lawlessness which exists in this country has put the young ones in lots of difficulties.  Many children & youth are caught up in the vicious circle of poverty, which often results in crime.  This vicious circle consists of “unemployment‐unrest‐corruption‐ black money‐smuggling, trading of narcotics‐dacoit‐abduction for ransom‐parochialism‐regionalism‐ethnic groupings‐conflicts‐armed fights‐ law & order situation‐ uncertainty‐ economic stagnation‐ & above all unemployment”.

Child labour in the brick kilns  The entire situation is further aggrieved by exploitation of child labour.  Millions of children are working more than 12 hours daily for one meal per day.  Many of them have to support 8 to 10 family members who are dependant on their meagre earnings .

Bonded in slavery...

 In Pakistan, an estimated number of 450,000 brick kiln workers are bonded in a slave‐like manner by the brick kiln owners.  The living conditions are terrible & many workers suffer from malnutrition & disease.  The children of the workers also have to work alongside their parents to meet the family quota of 1,000 bricks.

This is backbreaking work, the pay they receive is pitiful & they still have to repay their debts to the kiln owner.

 Debts are often passed from parents to children thus the cycle of brick kiln oppression carries on for generations.

Illiterate, uneducated & vulnerable to exploitation  Illiteracy among brick kiln workers is the norm rather than the exception. Lack of education & an inability to read & write means that the kiln owner can easily cheat his workers.  The kiln workers often do not even have primary school education, so adults still have to continue working on the kiln.

Elderly, 70 years & above, still have to continue to make bricks, as do women who have just given birth only a couple of days after delivering their babies.  The children are in effect, born into slavery. There is no escape for the workers, as their debts binds them to the kiln owners.

Child labour in the brick kilns  The educational program supported by Australia for brick kiln workers' children in Pakistan has provided opportunities for education & literacy. Through education it is hoped that the cycle of poverty & slavery will be broken, so that the workers & their children will be free to live a life as they choose.

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Supporting Assist a Student There are a number of ways that the AAS program can be supported:  Firstly, Conference members can make personal contributions so that a Conference can sponsor one or more students.  Secondly, conference members can inform others about the AAS program at their parish, school, workplace, community groups etc., & encourage them to fundraise to sponsor students. Brochures, posters & information material are available; please contact your St Vincent de Paul Society State Office for more detailed information.

Who can be a Donor?  St Vincent de Paul Society Conference members, Conferences, Councils, staff & volunteers  Schools & universities  Catholic community, parishes, church groups  Clubs, sporting teams, social groups etc  General public  Individuals

Promotion  Each State holds an annual appeal which is promoted both through the Society & parish communities once per year.  Society staff & volunteers provide certificates with the student’s name & acknowledge & receipt all donations.  A database of donors is maintained in each state & supporters receive updates by way of the annual newsletter inserted into The Record.

The Mission Statement of the St Vincent de Paul Society .  The Assist a Student program reflects the Mission Statement of the St Vincent de Paul Society – to serve the poor with love, respect, justice, hope & joy.  We do this by sharing some of ourselves ‐ what we have ‐ with those in need in our neighbouring countries.