Article by Ashley Puderbaugh.
Through our HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty through Education) scholarships, we encourage youth to complete higher education and better their lives. CI offers scholarships of up to $500 per year for up to two years of secondary school, university or vocational training programs. Last year, we awarded 2,247 scholarships, and 87 percent of the recipients completed their studies.
Good health, nutrition and protection are crucial to ensuring all children achieve their maximum physical and psychological development. In Kolkata, our medical staff performed 31,260 medical exams for children, youth and volunteers last year. In addition, more than 25,500 individuals made getting healthy a priority by attending health-education sessions.
Our Youth Leadership Training program develops communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As a final project, program participants implement a community-service project.
In Manila, Philippines, the teens created "Bottle for Change," a cleanup drive involving nearly 450 youth. Not only did the participants beautify the area, but they also raised funds by selling the recyclable waste. "We shared the money we earned from selling the plastic bottles," says 17-year-old Christine. "We used it for activities like storytelling for children. We bought notebooks, pencils and erasers for children who could not afford them."
