Believe — Scholarships bring education within Filipinos' reach

Getting an education is difficult for Donald Besana, 14.

Donald, a native of the Philippines, is the youngest of seven children. His father died when he was 4 years old, and his mother's only means of supporting the family is the small amount she receives from her late husband's pension. Most of Donald's older siblings have not been able to attend school.

Thanks to yearly scholarship from the BELIEVE International Foundation, things are looking up for Donald. His scholarship brings an education within his reach.

"The most important thing I learned from my school this year (is) the opportunity given to me as scholar of this foundation. (It) make my life happy," Donald wrote in a letter to the foundation. "I learned there are many people who has a charitable heart. Aside from that, my mother was very thankful for this blessing. It lessen her burden (of) schooling budget."

Many Filipino youths find themselves in a situation similar to Donald's. With a meager wage of $2 per day to support a large family, most parents can't afford to send their children to school. However, one local foundation is seeking to change this scenario.

The BELIEVE International Foundation seeks to provide educational assistance to Filipino children living in extreme poverty, like Donald, to help them rise above their circumstances. The foundation also emphasizes the development of values along with education. BELIEVE stands for Building Effective Leadership, Integrity, Excellence and Values through Education.

"What we're really trying to do is help the people overcome poverty," said Carvel Whiting, one of the founders of BELIEVE International, who lives in Cottonwood Heights. "There is a high correlation between poverty and corruption. This is an attempt to help address that issue by teaching people positive behaviors rather than corruption."

Stephen Kirk, a founder of the Live to Learn Foundation, which merged with the BELIEVE Foundation Inc. to form BELIEVE International last year, said of the number of Filipino youths who start elementary school, only 49.8 percent finish high school. Many drop out when the cost becomes more than their parents can afford. Others alternate years they attend school so that all children in a family can have at least a year or two of schooling.

"We've estimated the cost for an elementary kid to attend school to be around $70 and for a high school student about $100," Kirk said. "If the parents make $500 a year then one-fifth of their income goes for school for that one kid, but (most) families have more than one kid. If they have two elementary and one high school student, the cost is around $250, so 50 percent of their yearly income goes to schooling."

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