Sometimes, it only takes one person with empathy to change the course of a life. Think of Helen Keller. When Helen was young, in the 1880s, the outlook for a person with her disabilities were dire. Helen was deaf and blind. But then came Ann Sullivan, a teacher with extraordinary patience, kindness, and belief. Because of Ann’s compassion, Helen could develop her full potential. She was the first deafblind person to earn a college degree. She went on to become a prominent American author, activist, educator and advocate. That’s the magic of empathy. One person can create a ripple that reaches far beyond what we can imagine.
At CVF, we feel this truth deeply. Every year, when scholarship applications arrive, our hearts swell with hope, with compassion, and sometimes with the ache of having to choose when every story matters. Here are young women from rice farming communities, full of promise and potential, just waiting for someone to believe in them. Like Ann Sullivan, we can help set something extraordinary in motion.
Rachana, a recent applicant, wants to attend college to become a teacher: “I want the young people to become bamboo shoots as human resources to develop our nation to become a modern country.”
Bamboo can grow up to 35 inches a day. (No pressure, right?) But growth like that needs water, sunlight…and people who care. With your support, we can keep nurturing these bright, determined young women – helping them rise strong, just like bamboo. Will you help us keep the ripple going?
Meet our 5 new scholarship students
(or shall we say Bamboo shoots?)
To read more about each student, their families and their dreams for the future, follow the link to our scholarship students page.
