GVI Phoenix Project

Facts and figures

On an annual basis we aim to provide:
First time education or educational reinforcement to almost 2000 children in primary school
Secondary education to over 200 children and adults
Employment to over 75 local people; more-so indirectly
100 energy saving wood-burning stoves and 15,000 trees planted
Around 100,000 teaching hours
Over 500,000 pieces of fruit
1,000’s of pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, colouring pencils, work-books and erasers
Over 300,000 whole or subsidized meals
Daily education in 16 communities across Latin America
Direct benefits to over 500 families

Friday, January 2, 2009

Scholarships in Itzapa - Guatemala

As part of our teaching program, GVI Phoenix, with the help of the GVI Charitable Trust, pays for all our children to go to national school each year, so the children can receive formal certificates from the schools. Our free project ensures they receive a good education - see the blog entry on "Quantifying volunteer teaching".

On Monday, we handed out the scholarships to 141 mothers of the children at our school in Itzapa, a total of 325 children, including 35 for secondary school and 7 for college. These children would never have had this chance if it weren't for the project. The money goes towards the national school inscription fee and maintenance, utensils and "extra" costs a parent is charged for educating their child in national school.

To put this in perspective, only 7% of the mothers could sign their name to acknowledge receipt of the money, the other 93% had to leave a thumb print. In years to come, 100% of our future mothers will be able to sign their name.