$10K scholarships available to live-in caregivers

$10K scholarships available to live-in caregivers

Mark Buenaventura, the 9-year-old winner, with his parents Bienvenido and Emelyn Santos Buenaventura and younger sibling in the Philippines.

TORONTO–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.

After a phenomenal response last year that generated over 4,000 applications from migrant workers from around the globe, the UFCW Canada Migrant Workers Scholarships program has expanded by offering 20 scholarships of $500 each.

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. A live-in caregiver applicant can send in as many nominees as she or he wants but a separate form must be filled out and sent separately.

Hurry! Application deadline is December 31, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. 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.

Background

Launched in May 2010, UFCW Canada Migrant Workers Scholarships program is a first of its kind in North America. 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.

“As a leading advocate for the rights of migrant and temporary workers in Canada, the UFCW Canada family recognizes the importance of empowering migrant workers through education,” says National President Wayne Hanley.

UFCW Canada is the largest private sector union in Canada and by far the largest union in the private sector retail and service industries.

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

(PRESS RELEASE)