AROUND THE WORLD DEPARTMENT

Two of this department's greatest responsibilities are the awarding of scholarships (see below), and the provision of funds to projects endorsed (click here for more info on these projects) by the IOKDS in other parts of the world.

Around the World Scholarships

Eligibility: Scholarships for financial aid are granted through accredited universities and seminaries to full-time students who are citizens in the country where they are studying.

Process: Applicants must request an application form the Around the World Director at coltom38@mtco.com.

Completed applications must be received by the director by March 1st of the current year.

Scholarships are awarded to applicants who are completing their initial degrees, or for a maximum of four years, whichever comes first.

Responses from Scholarships Awarded:

Each year, the Around the World Department of the IOKDS is proud to award scholarships to people from countries outside of the USA and Canada who are pursuing education in their homelands. The response to this gift of tuition has been repeatedly received with an outpouring of gratitude. The stories of two recipients are included here.

Noe Soras Carire - Andahuaylas, Peru

When Noe was about 11 years old, he was brought to city of Andahuaylas by his very poor parents who lived in a small rural village. It is a common practice for farming parents to leave their children in the hands of a city-dwelling family. In exchange for giving them a home, the child is expected to work for them during the day and try to study at night.

During Noe's first year of this living-working arrangement, his job was to tend the pigs and graze the sheep. While doing this, he found his way to the Kids Alive Children's Home to inquire about being taken into their care. After carefully investigating Noe's background, the staff welcomed him into the children's home!

From very early on, Noe proved to be humble, respectful and responsible in his studies. After finishing high school, he decided to study gastronomy and soon became one of the best students in his class. This resulted in a scholarship award for two months of professional training in gastronomy in the capital city of Lima.

Upon graduating from university, the opportunity arose for Noe tobecome an assistant in the kitchen at the best tourist restaurant inAndahuaylas! As a result of his integrity and professional abilities, Noe, who is only 21 year old, was recently entrusted with the leadership of the entire kitchen.

Noe loves the Lord and is an active member at his local church. One of his desires is to go to seminary soon so that he can learn how to serve the Lord even better.

We are proud of this young professional that the Lord has enabled Kids Alive to help through the generosity of his sponsors, and the International Order of King's Daughters and Sons who awarded him scholarships for higher education.

Maria Rebecca De la Cruz Moronta - Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Maria Rebecca entered the ARK Children's Home in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic in 1998. Her unwed mother died in childbirth, leaving the baby to live with relatives who did not want her. In order to obtain a birth certificate, they claimed that she was their child. With three other children and tension brewing, Maria's uncle fled, leaving her aunt to care for all four children. Her Aunt Dora worked long hours in the flower gardens just to put food on the table and had little time for her children. She favored her own biological children and mistreated Maria, who spent hours walking the streets in tattered clothes. There was no one to make sure that Maria attended school. By the time she came to Kids Alive at the age of nine, she had not even completed first grade.

Concerned neighbors reported the situation to the authorities who then placed Maria Rebecca in one of the Kids Alive homes, the ARK. Truly this was a place of love and refuge for this lonely, frightened girl.

In the years since she first entered the Kids Alive Home it has been very satisfying to see a young girl who came from such hopeless conditions blossom into a beautiful person with hope for the future. Maria graduated from high school and is now in her third year of dental school at the university. This past summer she married a wonderful young Christian man, Abel, who also grew up in one of our programs in the Dominican Republic.

During the reception, the ARK Children's Home Director asked Maria what advice she had for any of the young men and women living in our homes. She eloquently gave three points of advice: 1) be patient and wait for God to provide the right husband; 2) trust God with the provision for your wedding as He will put the pieces together for you (and then gave examples about her wedding) and 3) remain sexually pure until you are married.

Maria and Abel moved the capital city, where he husband works, and will continue her studies there. She may volunteer at our Monte Plata ministries, since she's not far from there.