AK’ TENAMIT HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS
In June, 2021, we launched our first scholarship project: The Ak’ Tenamit Scholarships Program. To provide educational opportunities to girls in the least developed countries, TIES is working with The Guatemalan Tomorrow Fund and Asociación Ak’ Tenamit to grant scholarships to high school girls in Guatemala.
TIES selected five Ak’ Tenamit girls, from Grades 8 to 11, who will receive a TIES Ak’ Tenamit Scholarship. The scholarship provided by TIES funds each girl’s tuition, food, medicine, and supplies. The beneficiaries were selected based on academic achievement, financial need, and program of study.
The students are keen and avid learners. The girls in Grade 10 and 11 have already chosen their streams in which they will pursue their future careers such as sustainable tourism and rural community development. We are excited to help these young girls attain their educational and occupational goals! Ak’ Tenamit is Mayan for “new village” and we are happy to work with an organization that has been working towards a brighter future in Guatemala for over 30 years.
“When you educate a girl, you educate a family and transform society” – Asociasion Ak’ Tenamit and The Guatemalan Tomorrow Fund
WANT TO HELP A GUATEMALAN GIRL? DONATE NOW!
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In September, we are launching our second scholarship program: The Kenya University Scholarships Program. With the help of our TIES Kenya representative, Sarah Wanjiru, and AVSI, an NGO operating in Kenya, we will be able to successfully launch our program this year! The TIES Kenya Scholarship program grants scholarships to final year high school girls in Kenya who wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Many young girls in Kenya lose the opportunity to pursue higher education due to financial reasons and gender inequality. The demand for financial aid grew greatly in recent months in Kenya as the government cut back on student loans, making it impossible for many students to attain aid that would have allowed them to attend university. To promote equal access to education and allow students to achieve their goals, we are granting deserving students a TIES scholarship.
On July 15th, we closed our qualifying forms for the Kenya University Scholarships. Visit our website to find out more about the progress of our Kenya University Scholarships Program.
BARRIERS TO EDUCATION
In theory, all post-secondary education in Kenya is publicly funded. Students in Kenya rely on the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to provide them with financial aid. During the pandemic, HELB’s default rate has soared to 30%, while simultaneously the Kenyan government has been forced to cut its funding and is trying to borrow $100 million on international markets to keep HELB afloat. As a result, many students are left without aid and therefore cannot attend university. TIES aims to address these barriers by providing an additional avenue for students to achieve their educational goals. We don’t have $100 million to lend them, but we’ll do what we can!
TO ASSIST GIRLS IN KENYA OVERCOME EDUCATIONAL BARRIERS, VISIT:
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RACHELS TO SIERRA LEONE
To advance education using technology, we are partnering with CAUSE Canada to deliver and distribute 2 RACHEL units, 30 tablets, and a camera and projector. The gifts will be used towards the CAUSE Kids After School Program in Sierra Leone. RACHEL units and related technology will help students achieve their educational goals. This makes learning more convenient for students who otherwise would not have basic educational information for their school work. Our goal is to enhance literacy and math skills amongst students in Sierra Leone by providing technology, thus making quality education possible.
As of July 15th, we have signed the agreement with CAUSE Canada for the distribution of RACHELs to Sierra Leone. RACHELs are on order and we cannot wait for them to be delivered to the students as schools reopen!
For more information and updates regarding our project in Sierra Leone, visit our website: TIES.charity/projects/rachels-to-sierra-leone-2021. And to make a donation toward the distribution of RACHEL units, please visit our Donate page.
WHO WHAT IS RACHEL?
A Remote Area Community Hotspot for Education and Learning (RACHEL) unit is an educational technology device that allows students to access resources, such as Khan Academy, Wikipedia, and textbooks, without internet or data! RACHEL units are significantly beneficial as these tools provide students with greater quality education. By donating RACHELs, TIES aims to promote equitable learning opportunities and improve education to empower vulnerable communities.
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NOWLIGHT FIELD TEST
According to S.H.A.R.E Agriculture Foundation, during the pandemic in Guatemala
“students do not have electricity so they will walk a couple of hours to recharge their tablets”.
As a result, students find it difficult to obtain educational information, thus impacting their learning. To promote quality eduction, we are working with S.H.A.R.E. to deliver, monitor, and test 10 NowLight units in Sarstun, Guatemala for Ak’ Tenamit School students.
The NowLight kits are hand-powered generators with integrated light, battery and USB charging port, satellite light, and solar panel. The delivery of NowLight devices will alleviate barriers students in Guatemala face, as they will now be able to charge their school tablets without walking for many hours.
After the pandemic ends and students are able to return to boarding school full time, the NowLights will provide light and power for mobile phones for communities completely off-grid.
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ABOUT TIES
The Technology In Education Society (TIES) is a B.C. registered, non-profit society devoted to advancing the education of students in developing countries. We donate computers, tablets, and related, innovative technology, and we also have scholarship programs.
Contact Information
Phone Number: +1 604 474-0184
Mail: #2104-1225 Kingsway Avenue, Port Coquitlam, BC Canada V3C 1S2
For more information and updates regarding our projects, use our website contact form:
TIES.charity/contact
SUPPORT OUR PROJECTS
“Serit arbores, quae alteri saeclo prosint.” is Latin for “He plants trees to benefit another generation.” If you would like to join TIES in investing in the education of young people in developing countries in order to improve their future and the future of generations to follow, then please donate today. (Until our application to become a registered charity is approved by the CRA’s Charity Directorate, donations to TIES are not yet tax deductible in Canada.)
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