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Dear Friends and Supporters,
Annual Fund Drive
Our Annual Fund Drive started in February and will end in April 2024. Considering the difficult economic environment, it may not be easy for some of you to contribute to our fund. Yet I hope you will help with any amount you can spare, so we can continue to fund the 315 scholarship students in Sri Lanka and Myanmar and maybe add a few to the programs. Your financial support is vital for our students.
This is the Year of the Dragon. The Dragon represents power, authority, excellence, determination, and dignity. A Dragon is believed to have the powers to control natural disasters and overcome obstacles to see success. He is spirited, confident, enthusiastic, intelligent, and determined.
All these traits are so much needed! Let us trust that the Dragon will use them to bring peace to the world and to calm nature, not only for the benefit of our scholarship children and their families, but all children and families living in war zones and poverty.
Please give as generously as possible so we can provide as many scholarships as possible. I find it so very sad that parents in Sri Lanka and Myanmar cannot send their children to school because they cannot even feed the family.
With gratitude,
Erna
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Dear Friends and Donors,
In this world of turmoil and upheaval, our ‘second star’ (you will remember it from the Holiday email) is shining brightly.
Thanks to your strong support we could provide funds for Christmas gifts and Christmas parties for
a/ 1303 children in Chin State (pre-school, Kindergarten, and Grades 1 – 3 students plus our scholarship students), and
b/ 1095 children in 7 different towns and villages in Myanmar.
Without the dedicated help of many volunteers in the different locations, it would not have been possible for so many children to be gift/meal recipients. We are grateful to all volunteers for making the children’s Christmas 2023 special.
Please go to section “Photo Gallery” and look at the two albums:
1. 2023 Christmas Gifts – Chin State
2. 2023 Christmas Parties Myanmar
The pictures will speak for themselves.
It is our hope that the pictures in the two albums will show you how much joy a USD10 gift bag or a meal and small gift for about USD2 each can bring a needy child.
Should you be interested in more details about the 2023 Christmas programs, please go to section “Projects”, where you will find the article ‘Myanmar Christmas Gift Programs Dec. 2023’.
We are very grateful for your financial help which allowed us to bring the spirit of Christmas to so many children, who have very little in their present life.
Thank you.
Your Trustees of IFESCSF
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thanks to your support, 2024 will be the 19th year our fund has provided scholarships in Sri Lanka and the 11th year for scholarships in Myanmar.
While the people in both countries face enormous economic and political issues, at least, our students could continue to go to school. The school year in both countries is not yet on the pre-Covid schedule, but the schools and students try to catch up and hope the schedule will be back to normal in 2025.
1. Scholarships
In 2024 in Sri Lanka 224 students (209 girls and 15 boys) will be on 3 scholarship programs. (For details, please refer to the 3rd article: ‘Scholarships Sri Lanka 2006 – 2024’ under section “Scholarships” on this website.)
Including the 91 students (86 girls and 5 boys) on our two programs in Myanmar (for details, please refer to the 2nd article: ‘Scholarships Myanmar 2013/14 -2023/24 under section ‘Scholarships’), in the first half of 2024 a total of
315 Students (295 girls and 20 boys)
will receive scholarship support.
The very special news is that to date 219 students (194 in Sri Lanka and 25 in Myanmar)
have graduated from High School, completing their education. Let us all be proud of this achievement.
2. Emergency Food Program:
Because of the hunger in the country, the Government provides daily meals at Government schools in very poor districts, but not at all schools. HAGS does not get any support. Therefore, we will continue to help a substantial number of our scholarship students with a meal or a snack at this school until the situation improves.
3. Christmas Gift Program in Myanmar:
With donations from our loyal and new friends, as mentioned early September, our fund is sponsoring Christmas Gift Programs in Myanmar.
a/ In Chin State pre-school, Kindergarten, and Grades 1 – 3 students plus our scholarship students, a total of 1,300 children, will get a gift package containing primarily essential items.
b/ In Mandalay and several towns and villages in Myanmar, Christmas parties will be held, providing poor and internally displaced children with a decent meal and some small items as Christmas gifts.
Allow us to express our gratitude for your financial support for the Scholarship and Christmas programs. Although the number of children we can help seems like a drop of water poured into the ocean considering the plight of children affected by the many natural disasters and the current wars, please think of how much joy your help brings the girls and boys who can go to school and will not have empty hands at Christmas.
With great appreciation for your support.
Your Trustees of IFESCSF
Last Updated on Monday, 08 Apr 2024 15:04