RPCVs Make a Good Education a Reality for Pacific Islanders

Six decades ago, the remote Pacific Islands of Micronesia were the site of intense battles between American GIs and entrenched Japanese defenders. Now the region is better known for hosting the reality television show "Survivor" and its picturesque palm-lined beaches.

The reality behind the television show is less glamorous. Literacy and life expectancy are low, even by developing world standards, and the isolation of the tiny islands poses a major barrier to economic development.

A small group of RPCVs and American teachers founded their charity, the Habele Outer Island Education Fund, to help make a difference.  They have awarded over $5,000.00 in tuition scholarships to island students who will attend private schools in the Pacific this fall. The scholarships are issued to children in grades kindergarten through high school as part of an effort to promote educational opportunity throughout Micronesia.

Habele has also sent more than $2,000.00 in books and school supplies to community libraries this year. The charity works with Peace Corps Volunteers serving in the islands and members of the non-profit Oceanic Society. “It is particularly important that there be opportunities for those students who show great promise but are at a great disadvantage in accessing continued education. Habele is addressing this issue by providing modest educational grants to students from the more remote outer islands, students who might not otherwise be able to pursue these educational opportunities,” David Reside, Country Director for the US Peace Corps in Micronesia, said of the scholarships.

Habele consists of donors and volunteers from across the United States and the Pacific. The Fund operates on a strictly volunteer basis with no paid employees and is still seeking support for its ongoing public school book drives. You can find out more at www.habele.org.