2013 Grantee Highlight: EGBOK and EKARI Foundations
The Foundation proudly announced nearly $30,000 in grant awards last month. The eight deserving organizations will be highlighted here in the coming months. Today we start with two organizations that may sound familiar to some readers, and for good reason. EGBOK Mission and EKARI Foundation are previous recipients of Circle of Sisterhood grants and the board of trustees affirmed our relationship with both groups by awarding them grants once again during the fall 2013 granting cycle.
EGBOK Mission received a $5,000 grant to provide education and training scholarships for three young women. This is our third grant in support of the critical work EGBOK is doing to change the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young women in Cambodia. These scholarships will provide three program participants access to the highest levels of training in the hospitality industry, and upon completion of their studies the opportunity to secure employment with one of EGBOK’s many partners, in turn securing their futures.
Through education and training, EGBOK Mission creates economic opportunity for underprivileged young women in Cambodia to lift themselves out of poverty into a life of independence and self-sustainability. EGBOK was one of our first grant recipients, catching our attention in 2011, and they continue to impress and inspire us through their work. The smiles on the faces of these program participants lead us to believe the feeling is not ours alone.
EGBOK program participants, November 2013
EKARI Foundation received a $4,500 grant to fund the education of seven girls for one year in Malawi. This is our second grant to EKARI Foundation and we are very pleased that it will support the six girls impacted by our previous grant and one additional deserving young woman who is completing her college studies.
The EKARI Foundation makes an impact by providing tuition, exam fees, boarding, meals, uniforms, transport home during holidays, access to healthcare and all basic necessities to girls pursuing their education. EKARI Foundation believes that breaking the cycle of poverty that exists in Phalombe, Malawi begins by empowering girls and women through education. We are inspired by their work and the girls we are helping. Patuma Makande, one of the secondary school students supported by the CofS grant, shared the following letter of thanks with us recently. It is a touching reminder that we are indeed making a difference.
NOTE: You can read earlier blog posts highlighting EGBOK Mission and EKARI Foundation to learn more about these two inspiring organizations.
This blog was written by Sue Kraft Fussell, a former CofS trustee and current grants team lead.