enote 53 April 27, 2009
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Dear Friends,
For several years Liz and I have been inviting people to come with
us, see what we are doing, and if they wish. to work with us. We’ve
never had a better idea. We now have a group of wonderful,
experienced, and enthusiastic TReps, Trustee Representatives, who
not only help in our work, but bring their own special talents to
our Fund. After Hoppy and Judy got home Judy wrote a newsy email to
her friends about our recent activities. It was so good I thought
I’d share it with you below.
First a favor or two:
This year we are trying to expand our range of contacts on the internet, and we seek your help. Please take a minute or two and do as many as you can of the following.
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We are considering improving our website. Please visit it, and give us your suggestions. Our address is tomb@twcny.rr.com.
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We would like to have more people receive our enotes. If you like them and enjoy reading about our work, please tell a friend or two and have them send us an email to subscribe.
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We are now on a website called Great Non Profits. This website is a place for people to search for organizations they might wish to support. It requests people like yourself to give comments both good and bad about the organizations they are familiar with. Please go to http://www.greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/1453139 and give your opinions.
In this of economic uncertainty, these efforts can be of great help to us. Thank you very much!
Judy Winfield writes:
Happy Spring!
Hoppy and I are back from Thailand and Vietnam and experiencing “the
transition”. So far, we are cold, a little disoriented and a bit
depressed at having to care for ourselves. A couple of warm, sunny
days should turn the situation right around!
The
Foundation Board met last weekend and approved the budget for the
2009 -10 school year. $66,000 was allocated for the 20 projects,
including the Maw Kwee elementary school and teachers, Thai teachers
at Dr. Cynthia's Mae Tao School, operating expenses for the Nai Soi
Learning Center, 12 other schools, 5 boarding
houses, 67 teachers inside Burma, tuition payments for a few
elementary graduates and Dear Burma, a literacy project for migrant
workers in Bangkok.
The student budget is $92,500 and will include scholarships for 74 continuing university students, 23 continuing HS students, 48 new university students, and 34 new HS students. Total count is 122 university students and 57 HS students.
The school year in Thailand starts in June and ends in March. Currently, our students are taking entrance exams, registering for classes and paying bills.
Hoppy and I - with the Bracketts - spent two days sorting and grading [nearly 200] new student applications that were waiting in our PO Box in Chiang Mai. Students can choose their interview city, so packages were put together for each "team". We interviewed [43 new] students in northern Thailand - Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. Each team reviewed their applications and selected students to interview. Everyone took copious notes so that they could grade the students. Eventually, each team listed their new students - top to bottom - and presented the lists to the Board for funding. Mr. Hoppy was careful to evaluate our students well and interview only the ones we anticipated accepting. So, of our [43] students, only 2 were lopped from the bottom of our new student list.
Education in Thailand continues to be a great bargain! A university student receives $650- $700 which pays for tuition, books, fees, uniforms and transportation in a Thai language program. Some students work part time to pay for room and board. HS students receive $200 which pays for books, fees, uniforms and transportation. This allows the HS student to help the family at home, but not have to get a job - during the school year - to earn school fees.
So, because of your generosity, the Foundation is able to continue funding at last year's level. That's pretty good in this poor economy! Graduates are replaced with new students and the process of developing leadership in the refugee communities continues. Our graduates are teachers in village schools, nurses in free clinics and trainers with NGO's - non-governmental organizations. Most are active with youth groups or hill-tribe organizations. An impressive group!
Thanks again for your support of our work with the Brackett Foundation!
Judy and Hoppy
Thank you Judy, and our best wishes to all of you,
or send a check to
The Brackett Refugee Education Fund, P.O. Box 8 Hamilton, NY 13346
phone (315) 824-3435 thomas.brackett@gmail.com
Copyright © 2009 The Brackett Refugee Education Fund. All rights reserved.