Caregivers’ $10,000 scholarship still on

Caregivers’ $10,000 scholarship still on

If you are a live-in caregiver who has not yet applied for the 2011 UFCW Canada Migrant Workers Scholarships, this is your last opportunity to file your application form. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2011 at 5:00 pm. Application is absolutely FREE.

A total of $10,000 is available for those who are, or were previously, live-in caregivers to apply for the 2011 UFCW Canada Migrant Workers Scholarships Program. Live-in caregivers who entered Canada to work under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program are eligible to apply. The applicant can nominate his or her children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews. The nominee child may be living in any country, can be of any nationality, must be between 4-25 years of age, and must be attending or hoping to attend an educational institution. An applicant can send in as many nominees but a separate form must be filled out and sent separately.

“As a leading advocate for the rights of migrant and temporary workers in Canada, this scholarship is our gesture of appreciation for all live-in caregivers who endured hardships and left their families behind in order to take care of our families,” says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley. “As Canada’s largest private sector union, we strongly believe we can empower migrant workers through education.”

UFCW Canada Migrant Workers Scholarships program is a first of its kind in North America. After an extraordinary response in 2010 that generated over 4,000 applications from around the globe, the program has now expanded by offering 20 scholarships of $500 each.

Five extraordinary students from across the globe were the first-ever recipients, including Mark S. Buenaventura, a nine-year-old student from the Philippines. It was Mark’s aunt, Jesusa Santos, who nominated him. Jesusa works in Canada under the Live-In Caregiver program and resides with a family she works for in Toronto. In his “Thank you” letter, Mark pledged to donate some of his scholarship money for renovations at his school. The community-minded Mark hopes to be a veterinarian someday, and lives with his Mom and Dad who literally cried with joy when they got the news about the scholarship.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

Application forms in Pilipino and English are available online at www.ufcw.ca/migrantscholarships.

You can also mail a completed application form to: UFCW Canada Migrant Workers Scholarships 2011, 300-61 International Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9W 6K4. Only those accepted to receive the scholarships will be notified via registered mail or email by March 31, 2012.

For more information about the 2011 Migrant Workers Scholarships, please send an email to: socialjustice@ufcw.ca or visit our website at www.ufcw.ca/migrantscholarships.

Contact: Human Rights Department, 416 675 1104 ext. 2264, Email: socialjustice@ufcw.ca

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