Scholars Meeting July 2010

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 01st 2010 it was held a meeting with all scholarship holders, recipients of the "Dollars For Scholarship and Leaders for Tomorrow" program from CHOI. The meeting took place at Youth House, current headquarters of the NGO CHOI. In response to this assistance through the program, students have organized themselves into 15 groups to design community service projects for the benefit of community they live in or the surrounding ones. These projects are related to horticulture, bio gardening, environmental care, medical care, recycling, etc. Scholars come together monthly with leaders of CHOI and other guests to share on community service projects they are involved in and to be trained on important topics such as leadership, teamwork, self esteem, scale of values, etc. which will help them in their personal and professional development.

CHOI executive director Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, the program director Mr. Rafael Armas and the program coordinator Mr. Carlos Alayo were present in the meeting. I, Pablo Beltrán, was invited along with a friend of mine named Timothy Merkel from Maryland-USA. In this meeting, Mr. Earl Milbrath from Minnesota-USA was also present. He currently serves as Secretary of the "LOS AMIGOS" Board of Directors and as the Chairman of the Economic Development Council which is a committee operating under the direction of the "LOS AMIGOS" Board. He is also the U.S. administrator for the Dollars for Scholars and Leaders for Tomorrow program, which is presently helping 60 students attend university and technical schools in order to get a career and have helped over 160 students, considering the graduated.

Mr. Earl Milbrath has been helping this program since many years ago. He looks for donors and people willing in order to assist financially this program from the USA so poor youth of Chimbote will be able to have a chance to grow as persons, professionals, members of their family and community and so contribute, with their assets and knowledges, for their personal and community development. He encouraged them to continue to study despite of hard times they could deal with as youth. The scholars, one by one, expressed their gratitude for the help received and most of them said that Earl Milbrath was like a dad for them. He was touched by these words.

The Chimbote ROTARY Club president Dr. Carmen Hurtado and ROTARACT director Mr. Cristian Carthy along with some of its members were also invited to the meeting. Dr. Carmen congratuled scholars for keeping the way of the studies and encouraged them to keep forward focused on their goals taking advantage of this great opportunity they all have to study considering that there are still many young people out there from poor neighborhoods waiting for a chance. Mr. Cristian invited scholar to be part of ROTARACT and this way make contact with other students to share experiences and serve the others.

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