Building Relationships for Better Lives


What is a “Scholarship” for My Salvadoran Prayer Child?

[Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the May 2009 St. Stephen's Sun.]

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So, now you have a picture of one of the children from the school in El Salvador that is our “sister parish” hanging on your refrigerator. You know that you are expected to pray for him/her on a regular basis. You know you are supposed to pray for his/her health, safety, motivation to study. It wouldn’t hurt to include a prayer that the family has enough food to eat daily. You know that we expect you to send a short letter and a picture with us when we visit in November.



But you may have also given some money. What is it used for? That is what this article hopes to answer. During our annual reports, we have discussed the “scholarship ceremony” when the recipients “receive their scholarship packet”. The pictures we give you every year has the student holding something. That is the ‘scholarship packet’. This packet consists of a uniform (white blouse and plaid skirt for the girls, white shirt and navy pants for the boys), a pair of shoes, some spiral notebooks, and pens and pencils. A scholarship also includes a hot meal at lunchtime ($5.00/year).

The “average” cost of scholarship is $60; the actual cost depends on size of uniform, shoes, etc. Give as you are able. It should be noted that local men and women make the uniforms and the shoes, so our scholarship money actually helps to provide employment for some individuals. A win-win situation from our point of view.

So that is what a scholarship is. But what if you are not sponsoring a child – is it OK to still give money? ABSOLUTELY! How is that money used?

First, we make sure that there is enough money to cover the children we have committed to sponsor (120 at this time). Then, some money goes into providing partial University scholarships – administered by a scholarship committee in the community with help from a non-governmental agency we have been working with for 15 years. Some money is also used for purchasing school supplies for the other 400 children in the school who don’t receive a scholarship, but are probably just as needy. Money also goes toward paying the Doctor to work in the Health Clinic, and for providing a wage to the health workers, as well as helping them purchase supplies and equipment.

I hope this provides some clarity as to how your money is used. If you ever have any questions, please ask Kent or Chris Madsen, Ruth Cruddas, or Jill Adachi. Any of them will be happy to answer your questions.

We thank you once again for your generosity, and wish you Paz de Cristo (the Peace of Christ).

Added by Chris April 25, 2009 (10:40PM)

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