Grameen Foundation : Resource Center : Print Newsletter : Fall 2006 : Grameen Shikkha: Scholarships Of Hope
Grameen Shikkha: Scholarships Of Hope
For children living in extreme poverty in Bangladesh, the chance for higher education is a welcomed opportunity.
Grameen Shikkha, which means “education” in Bengali, is a sister organization of the Grameen Bank. It provides scholarships to rural students who have been deprived of education because of family poverty. Scholarship recipients pursue an education that will one day improve their community and keep their families out of poverty for good.
Take the case of Ali Hossain, who received a scholarship from Grameen Shikkha and is the first to attend school of his seven siblings, despite being the third oldest. Throughout his life, Ali has kept up with his studies while coping with severe hardships. On some days, Ali has had to go without food, and until he reached tenth grade he did not have a table to study on. Ali’s education would have ended after fifth grade if his aunt had not offered to pay his tuition. After completing secondary school, Grameen Shikkha’s scholarship eased the burden of college tuition and now allows Ali to dream of becoming a doctor and helping his family and community. Receiving a scholarship from Grameen Shikkha was a true honor because Ali’s mother first learned to sign her name after joining the Grameen Bank.
The success of Grameen Shikkha scholarships inspired Grameen Foundation to create the Grameen Educational Scholarship Program. This program aims to raise funds to support organizations in our global network that are enabling education through scholarships to poor and talented students. Grameen Foundation is currently supporting scholarships for the children of microfinance clients in Bangladesh, India and Mexico.
To learn more about the program and how you can sponsor a student, please contact tashraf@grameenfoundation.org.
Grameen Foundation : Resource Center : Print Newsletter : Fall 2006 : Grameen Shikkha: Scholarships Of Hope
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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