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I know the world is full of worthy charities, but if you or anyone you know is looking for one, The Baja Scholarship Foundation is a wonderful cause. Welcome
The foundation "educationally adopts" worthy, needy students. The students apply for consideration; the board reads the applications and decides which students to accept based on their applications and the amount of money the foundation has available. Once accepted, the foundation fully funds the student's education as far as the student wants to go. Last year, the Foundation saw its first M.D. graduate. Almost of all their students are accepted in elementary school, and obviously, remain in the program for years.
Once accepted, the student, his family, and the foundation sign a contract. The family agrees to provide time to study and a place to study; the student agrees to maintain a grade point average of at least 8 on a 10 point scale and to give back to the program once he has finished his education; the Foundation agrees to provide all funds needed for education for the student.
For the families, this is a major commitment. Many of the adults work in the local flower fields. They are, of course, paid only on those days they can work, which means there is no money earned on a rainy day or between harvests. When they are paid, they earn $5.00 a day. Any person big enough to work in the fields adds to the families food supply, so agreeing to allow a student to go to school is a big commitment for the family to make. These students live in poverty that we have no comprehension of in the U.S.: they live in huts with no running water, no inside plumbing, no electricity. They may well be cooking over an open pit outside the hut. Despite these handicaps, the students maintain clean uniforms and good grades.
Because many of the families are so very, very poor, the Foundation also donates food and clothing, but they never donate money. Yesterday, a local acquaintance who loves to fish came back with an especially large catch. One of the board members loaded the fish into a cooler and set off into the hills to distribute the catch. One of the fathers was so moved at receiving the fish that he cried.
The Foundation's goal is to change the lives of these students and their families, and every day, they are doing just that. The Foundation becomes family to these students. One middle school aged boy was living with his grandfather and had no other family; the grandfather died. The Foundation found a family that could accept him. The boy is still in the program.
The cost of maintaining a student is modest by American standards. $350.00 pays all education expenses, including the required uniforms, for an elementary school aged student for an entire year; $450.00 pays all expenses for a high school aged student for an entire year. Post high-school training, of course, costs more, but nothing compared to American costs.
The Foundation was started by acquaintances of ours, and to this day, not one penny that has been donated has ever gone for administration costs/gasoline/printing of flyers/etc. Board members donate the money for any expenses or it is done by volunteers (for example, the delivery of the donated fish). Absolutely all funds go to maintain the students the Foundation has accepted.
One of our acquaintances is beginning a fund-raiser for the program: he is paddling a kayak from Seattle to Skagway, Alaska. It is possible to donate a set amount per mile of the entire trip, or donate per mile of a particular segment of the trip, or to simply send a check. (I'll have a web site address in a week or so if anyone is interested.) He is trying to raise $20,000 with sponsorship of his journey. The web site will allow people to follow his journey as he checks in from time to time. If is, of course, also possible to simply donate to Baja Scholarship Foundation on their own site Welcome, but our kayaking friend would be grateful for any donations to help him make his goal.
I do know that there are many worthy causes in the U.S., but I just thought I'd post this in case anyone had an interest or knew anyone who would have an interest. The cause is worthy.
The foundation "educationally adopts" worthy, needy students. The students apply for consideration; the board reads the applications and decides which students to accept based on their applications and the amount of money the foundation has available. Once accepted, the foundation fully funds the student's education as far as the student wants to go. Last year, the Foundation saw its first M.D. graduate. Almost of all their students are accepted in elementary school, and obviously, remain in the program for years.
Once accepted, the student, his family, and the foundation sign a contract. The family agrees to provide time to study and a place to study; the student agrees to maintain a grade point average of at least 8 on a 10 point scale and to give back to the program once he has finished his education; the Foundation agrees to provide all funds needed for education for the student.
For the families, this is a major commitment. Many of the adults work in the local flower fields. They are, of course, paid only on those days they can work, which means there is no money earned on a rainy day or between harvests. When they are paid, they earn $5.00 a day. Any person big enough to work in the fields adds to the families food supply, so agreeing to allow a student to go to school is a big commitment for the family to make. These students live in poverty that we have no comprehension of in the U.S.: they live in huts with no running water, no inside plumbing, no electricity. They may well be cooking over an open pit outside the hut. Despite these handicaps, the students maintain clean uniforms and good grades.
Because many of the families are so very, very poor, the Foundation also donates food and clothing, but they never donate money. Yesterday, a local acquaintance who loves to fish came back with an especially large catch. One of the board members loaded the fish into a cooler and set off into the hills to distribute the catch. One of the fathers was so moved at receiving the fish that he cried.
The Foundation's goal is to change the lives of these students and their families, and every day, they are doing just that. The Foundation becomes family to these students. One middle school aged boy was living with his grandfather and had no other family; the grandfather died. The Foundation found a family that could accept him. The boy is still in the program.
The cost of maintaining a student is modest by American standards. $350.00 pays all education expenses, including the required uniforms, for an elementary school aged student for an entire year; $450.00 pays all expenses for a high school aged student for an entire year. Post high-school training, of course, costs more, but nothing compared to American costs.
The Foundation was started by acquaintances of ours, and to this day, not one penny that has been donated has ever gone for administration costs/gasoline/printing of flyers/etc. Board members donate the money for any expenses or it is done by volunteers (for example, the delivery of the donated fish). Absolutely all funds go to maintain the students the Foundation has accepted.
One of our acquaintances is beginning a fund-raiser for the program: he is paddling a kayak from Seattle to Skagway, Alaska. It is possible to donate a set amount per mile of the entire trip, or donate per mile of a particular segment of the trip, or to simply send a check. (I'll have a web site address in a week or so if anyone is interested.) He is trying to raise $20,000 with sponsorship of his journey. The web site will allow people to follow his journey as he checks in from time to time. If is, of course, also possible to simply donate to Baja Scholarship Foundation on their own site Welcome, but our kayaking friend would be grateful for any donations to help him make his goal.
I do know that there are many worthy causes in the U.S., but I just thought I'd post this in case anyone had an interest or knew anyone who would have an interest. The cause is worthy.
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