June 26, 2002
Colleagues,
Please consider providing a $300 college scholarship for an
impoverished Kenyan young person, via an excellent Canadian charitable
organization called ACCES (African - Canadian Continuing Education
Society).
ACCES requires that students study in a field where jobs are
available. Thus most funded students are in applied sciences and education.
For example, I sponsor 2 medical students, a chemistry education major, a
physics major, a math & economics major, & a nursing student. My elementary
education student and electrical installation major graduated last year. I
find sponsorship immensely gratifying, for the students have great needs
and their interests are similar to mine. I recommend ACCES to you for the
same reasons.
A small amount of money can make a huge difference in a Kenyan person's
life. In Kenya the average annual income is only about $250. The $300 per
student that I contribute pays for an entire year's college expenses!
ACCES needs MANY more donors, right away. They ran out of
scholarship money last month, and they have a huge waiting list of needy
students with top-notch grades. They can fund only 1 out of every 8
qualified applicants!
If you donate, you are given a handwritten autobiography and
snapshot from the Kenyan student, and you can correspond with the student.
I exchange e-mails with a few students, notably my electrical graduate.
FACTS ABOUT KENYA:
Kenya's population is 28 million. Over half are under 15 years old;
and 1/3 of the children never attend ANY school because they can't afford
to pay the compulsory fees. That unschooled proportion is increasing,
unfortunately.
Families are huge: each student whom I sponsor has 7 or 8 siblings.
They are subsistence farmers. The social structure is patriarchal and
partly polygamous, with dire results on families. The prevalence of
HIV/AIDS is shocking; an estimated 15% of people are afflicted, and the
misinformation about causes and transmission of the virus is astounding.
ACCES formed an alumni association of their 100+ college graduates,
and they are assisting this group to lead in their communities, including
HIV/AIDS awareness.
BASIC LITERACY PROGRAM:
ACCES' latest project is funding a "learning center" primary school
program for 700 school-age children in six poor villages. None of these
kids can afford to go to school. Some of their 30 teachers are former ACCES
scholarship holders, thus completing the circle of effectiveness of ACCES.
WHO STARTED ACCESS, AND WHY:
ACCES was founded several years ago by Beth and George Scott,
retirees in education and law, who had read a book by Robert Rodale
pointing out that one person can make a big difference in the world. They
are committed to global ethics.
A dozen retirees participate in administering ACCES; most live near
Vancouver (north of Seattle). They donate their own money for
administrative costs. Every penny that you contribute goes for the student
scholarship.
Some of these retirees live for up to 1/2 year in Kenya at their
own expense, to personally coordinate the program there. They have strict
guidelines on which students get supported, and they make sure that the
funds go directly to the university, not to the government where it would
be subject to rampant corruption.
ACCES is commmitted to helping Kenyan communities become
self-reliant through education. They know that education is a key to
reducing poverty and ending strife. Their work promotes gender equity, too;
half of their scholarships go to women.
CREDENTIALS/AUTHENTICITY:
Last year ACCES was awarded a 3-year grant from the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA). Beth Scott was given the Lewis
Perinbam Award, in honor of the former vice-president of CIDA and holder of
the Order of Canada, Canada's highest honor for lifetime achievement. The
congratulatory award letter to Beth Scott states: "...the Trustees were
extremely impressed with your exceptional contribution to education and the
emphasis placed on youth and development in Kenya through ACCES. As a
builder of community development overseas and in Canada, your efforts
demonstrate the best in international development...."
I like the mission and work of ACCES so much that I agreed to be on
the volunteer Board of Directors. (Chuckle - I represent the USA!)
Beth Scott checked my facts above and said:
"Your facts are not only correct, but very well presented. Great!
We accept donations at any time of year. Semesters start at the
universities and colleges in the fall and in January. There is, however, a
constant stream of students coming in to ACCES House to ask for
scholarships. When we receive a donation, we tell the donor that we can
now tell the agents that another student can receive a schoarship. So -
spring, fall or anytime in between."
HOW TO CONTACT ACCES:
Browse their web site:
www.powernetdesign.com/acces
You can e-mail or call Beth & George, or mail them a check (made out to ACCES):
Beth Scott, President
ACCES
2441 Christopherson Road
Surrey, British Columbia
Canada V4A 3L2
Phone: (604) 538-7267.
e-mail: "ACCES (George & Beth Scott)" <acces@shaw.ca>
Our small donations can make a HUGE positive difference in a Kenyan's life
& career.
FINALLY:
I quote from a newspaper article on ACCES:
"the Scotts point out that the situation in very poor parts of the world,
in both scale and kind, is more desperate than anything known in the rich
societies. "True charity is where the need is", they answer. "Our poorest
people here are wealthy compared to the people there. Further, these
imbalances in the world will eventually impinge upon the 'good life' of the
affluent..."
Cheers,
Jane
Jane Jackson, Co-Director, Modeling Instruction Program
Box 871504, Dept.of Physics & Astronomy,ASU,Tempe,AZ 85287
480-965-8438/fax:965-7331 <http://modeling.asu.edu>
We must manage our forests -- and our planet.