News
U.S. Supports Education for Peace Fund (EduPaz)
September 14, 2009
The High Commissioner for Reintegration (ACR), the United Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Lumni Inc. Foundation and the private sector - initially represented by the Colombian Tobacco Company Coltabaco, - launched the Education for Peace (EduPaz) Fund to provide professional and technical training to victims of violence in Colombia.
The Fund’s capital seed, which amounts to USD $810.000, seeks to be self-sustainable and will provide scholarships to its beneficiaries. Some of them will be people who are in the process of returning to society (reintegration), victims of violence and vulnerable populations, IDP’s, minorities, receiving communities and tobacco-growing communities in nine departments country wide.
Among those present at the event were Frank Pearl, High Commissioner for Reintegration and Peace; Ileana Baca, Director of USAID/Colombia Demobilization and Reintegration Program; José Ángel Oropeza, Head of Mission IOM/Colombia and Jon Manuel Ruiz, General Manager for Coltabaco.
The Fund is formed by USAID, which donated USD $200.000, and Coltabaco which donated USD $610.000, and will be administered by Lumni, Inc. In addition, students will be able to join up and be selected based upon a pre-selected profile such as academic performance, integrity and motivation. Those selected will receive a flexible financial aid with full scholarship. Students will be evaluated and coached so as to strengthen their commitment to their studies and hence minimizing the rate of desertion. Such coaching will be provided by corporate volunteers from companies linked to Coltabaco. Once they finish their studies and join the labor force, they will pay a percentage of their income to finance other students.