MWS hands out bigger and more bursaries
GC WSCS-supported
programme benefits
261 students compared
to 200 in 2007
STORIES BY MEL LEE
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Imran (not his real name) has once again received the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) Bursary for 2009, much to the relief of his mother, Madam Hanifah (not her real name).
“At least, my burden is lighter. We have a lot of financial problems because my husband is in and out of jail,” said the 43-year-old housewife. Madam Hanifah single-handedly raises her four children, ranging in age from two to 10 years, in their two-room rental flat. In order to raise some money for their daily expenses she bakes cookies to sell.
This time, Imran received $300, $100 more than what he got in 2007 as a Primary 2 pupil. “This is another piece of good news,” said Madam Hanifah, “I am happy and relieved to see Imran receive the bursary. With this money, I can buy him and his siblings school uniforms and textbooks.”
A total of 261 primary, secondary and pre-university students received the bursaries, 61 more than in 2007. However, the number of applicants also increased sharply, from 350 in 2007 to 509 in 2008.
In keeping with the times, the MWS and the General Conference-Women’s Society of Christian Service (GC-WSCS) decided to increase the bursaries to $300 for primary students, $400 for secondary students and $600 for pre-university students respectively, up from $200, $300 and $450 in the past few years.
Each student also received grocery vouchers worth $20 sponsored by a generous donor from
Yet another break from tradition saw Methodist churches partnering the MWS in disbursing the bursaries.
Some churches visited the recipients and their families and presented the bursaries in the students’ homes, while other churches hosted parties for the recipients. This initiative gives churches an opportunity to extend a further helping hand to the recipients’ families.
Mel Lee is the Assistant Manager (Communications) of the Methodist Welfare Services.