SURREY — Umoja Operation Compassion Society, along with United Way, are giving away post-secondary scholarships to new immigrant youth.
The goal is to help youth who otherwise would not be able to afford an education.
"We would like to see no more excuse of youth ending up on the Surrey streets due to lacking of tuition for post-secondary education," said Amos Kambere who founded Umoja, a Whalley-based organization dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants, in 2002. He received the Heart of the City Award from the city last year for his efforts.
"We have witnessed steady progress up to straight A students coming from our out-of-school programs," Kambere added. "This (scholarship) program will support kids who have been through the out-of-school programs and are either in Grade 12 or will be in the coming years. As well, kids who have been in the Umoja youth programs or kids whose parents have been Umoja clients and are struggling to find tuition for their graduating kids."
The new Youth Scholarship Award will cover the costs for an undergraduate four-year degree or apprenticeship or diploma program in Metro Vancouver including tuition and registration fees as well as textbooks.
Applicants must have been part of an Umoja program or have volunteered for at least six weeks.
For more details and to enter, visit Umojaoperation.ca and click on the "Opportunities" tab.