24 students from Wakanisila settlement in Nasinu will reap the benefits of the English Access Micro-Scholarship Program which has been launched by the U.S Embassy in Fiji.
The US government has given Vision Fiji, a local non-governmental organisation which focuses on the welfare of children, a grant of US$70,328 to roll out the two-year program in Wakanisila.
Three local teachers have been chosen to guide these 24 students.
Year 10 Student Lanieta Vakabuka participant of the program says she is really excited about this program.
She says with the help of this program, she will be able to help her cousins and two sisters with the English subject.
Vision Fiji Board Chair, Gazala Akbar says through this program, these students will be able to include themselves in the US Embassy’s data base and will be able to present a stronger case when they are applying for a scholarship in the United States.
Akbar says Wakanisila is the first community that they are working with for the program and they have plans to expand it to other communities as well.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S Embassy, Antone Greubel who has been part of a program of this sort in Pakistan says it took some time to launch this program in Fiji because English is more widely spoken in the Pacific.
He says he is looking forward to awarding these students with their certificates at the end of the program.
US ambassador to Fiji, Joseph Cella says he is confident that by the end of the program the students’ English proficiency will be strong enough to help them attain their goals.
He also shared stories of how his doors are always open for these students if they wish to practice what they learn in the program.
Cella says this will somewhat fill the void left by his seven children who are away from him.
