THE FAWCO FOUNDATION NEEED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Investing In Our Most Important Resource - PEOPLE - Through Higher Education

Each year The FAWCO Foundation awards Development Grants to projects nominated by FAWCO member organizations. The grant categories are aligned to the UN Millennium Goals.

In 2007, The Lambs Project was awarded the “A Place to Learn” Development Grant. Working through “The Friends of Burkina Faso” the grant bought lambs, school books and gas lights for little girls entering school in Burkina Faso.  The girls in the Lambs Project raise and care for the lambs and after a year, they sell the lamb and with their profits finance their schooling and buy another lamb for the next year.  This process continues throughout their school careers.

The FAWCO Foundation was pleased that 50 little girls in Ouahigouya received lambs from the Development Grant.

This program strongly resonated with FAWCO Member Clubs and there was interest in aiding these girls beyond their secondary school educations.

In 2008, at FAWCO Member Clubs’ request, The FAWCO Foundation started searching for an opportunity to team with a needs-based scholarship program.  Through The Friends of Burkina Faso we learned about the NEEED (Nimbus, Enfance, Environnement, Education et Developpement) program providing scholarships for post-secondary education studies for girls in the fields of primary school teacher training, nursing, midwifery and university studies.  The young girls who had completed their basic education with support from the Lambs Project DG were now thirsty for further education but could not afford it; these were the very girls who would benefit from a NEEED scholarship.  It was decided that NEEED was a perfect fit due to FAWCO’s past association with the Lambs Project.

The NEEED initiative was announced at the 2010 FAWCO Conference in Boston and we immediately had members donate funds in lieu of retirement gifts, birthday celebrations and memorials. The overwhelming response allowed us to underwrite the education of nine girls, starting in September 2010. In 2011, the donations to NEEED consisted almost entirely of donations made in memory of Pam Dahlgren.  In 2012, the donations were, again, primarily from individual members.

Since 2010, The FAWCO Foundation has financed the complete education (including living accommodation, books, tuition and transportation) for 15 young women to become teachers or nurses. There are currently five young women in school as a result of FAWCO’s NEEED scholarships. In September 2012, one young woman started her last year of nursing training and one started her last year of midwifery training. Through generous donations, three additional young women started their advanced education in 2012; two in nursing school and one in the primary teacher training program.

There are dramatic statistics that compel us to support education and training in these three professions:

1. The literacy rate (those over the age of 15) is only 26%

2. Infant Mortality is a staggering 97.1 per 1000

3. Life expectancy is a mere 56.7 years of age

(Statistics US State Department-Bureau of Foreign Affairs)

The FAWCO Foundation NEEED Scholarship covers the cost of tuition and school fees, books, supplies and living expenses for the entire period of their studies. While the costs vary from year-to-year and with exchange rates, these were the costs for post-secondary training in September 2012:

The two-year Primary School Teacher degree $1,540

The two-year Nursing or Auxiliary Midwife Training $2,200

The three-year Advanced Nursing or Midwife Degree $3,300

Many of these young women have left their villages to live near their schools. These fields of study require a multi-year commitment from the students. After they receive their degrees they will return to their villages to help nurture and improve the lives of a population in dire need.

The FAWCO Foundation receives periodic updates on the students and their progress is reported on The FAWCO Foundation website: www.fawcofoundation.org. At the conclusion of their studies, The Foundation receives final reports and information about their career plans.

Our Next Students - How YOU Can Help Them Realize Their Dreams

The first three years of our partnership with NEEED have been very successful and The FAWCO Foundation hopes to continue this important program.

The number of scholarships given will be based on the amount of donations we receive by June of each year.

In 2012, a donation was made to The Foundation for a 5-year commitment to provide one 3-year midwife training scholarship per year. This donation cycle will commence in 2013. In addition, a donation for a two-year scholarship for one girl to study as a primary school teacher has been made directly to NEEED in the name of FAWCO. This donation will apply to the 2013 scholarships.

We continue to collect donations for this program and look forward to offering more girls from Burkina Faso a chance at higher-education.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Burkina Faso is one of the world’s poorest countries ranking 157 of 181 countries. Higher education is a struggle to achieve even in the more urban and developed parts of the country.

YOU can:

Make a donation to The FAWCO Foundation NEEED Scholarship Fund

Support a fundraising drive in your FAWCO Club to fund a scholarship

Ask your employer, local business or organization to match your donation

All donations will be acknowledged and are US tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Sponsorships are available for donations of full scholarships.

We know that this is a difficult economic time, but it does not make education any less of a priority - it makes it even more important. The young women of Burkina Faso are just as driven to improve their lives as other young women in the rest of the world. This is a small, very poor country which is not on the “radar” of many of the big charities.

The FAWCO Foundation knows that your donation will have an immediate and long lasting impact on the achievement of their dreams.

Download a brochure

Meet the Recipients of the NEEED Scholarship

As a result of the NEEED Scholarship Program, these young ladies are able to receive further education in one of the following three areas: nursing, midwifery (3 year Advanced Nursing) & teaching.

Costs include School fees, living expenses, books and supplies + NEEED's fee
For a 2 year Primary School Teacher: $3,124; For a 2 year Nursing Training: $2,563; For a 3 year Midwifery Training: $5,126

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