Youth Center Phase II - Scholarship Program

Over the coming year, Hope for Children US hopes to expand the mission of the Youth Center by building its capacity to assist older youth in finding and obtaining funding for suitable vocational training programs and in finding jobs. Most beneficiaries receive support through HFC’s sponsorship program only until they are 18, leaving them at risk of returning to the streets and poverty as young adults. The first phase of the Youth Center’s mission was to construct a supplemental educational program that would help students do better in school and be better prepared to enter the job market. This first phase is now well established. The second phase of the project is to implement a vocational training component. The Youth Center Project Coordinator and teachers are beginning now to:

• Determine the number of youth who are age 16 and above, who have completed or are completing high school and who are current or past HFC beneficiaries;
• Conduct a survey of these youth to ascertain their interests and skills;
• Identify and maintain a database of employment opportunities, including qualifications, salaries, etc., and post these at the Youth Center; and
• Identify and maintain a database of university-based and vocational training opportunities with their respective enrollment dates, requirements and costs.

As funds become available, scholarships will be awarded to students to attend appropriate programs.

Already a number of Hope for Children youth have successfully attended a variety of training programs, ranging from nursing to furniture making to hairdressing. Our goal at the Youth Center is to help every child advance towards his or her potential and to offer support appropriate for every child’s circumstance. To do this, we need your help!