Half of IHF's mission is to educate the poor and the other half is to educate the world about the poor.
"Our vision is to strive for a world of leaders and citizens who have interacted with, and are truly knowledgeable about the world's poor. We believe in a "pass it on" philosophy where education is free and available for all who seek it. Those of us who have received a free education pass it on by helping others less fortunate by teaching, interacting and learning. With just a few hours a week, our volunteers, children and sponsors are changing the world we live in.
IHF is a non-religious, non-political, non-profit organization that strongly believes in an equal opportunity for all and in preserving the cultures, traditions and beliefs of the marginalized communities it works in"
IHF has various programs open to the world including Orphan Sponsorship, Tiny Tots Orphan Sponsorship, The Education Program (TEP), Medical Sponsorship, Class Sponsorship, Famine Feed Program, Survival Program, Medical Clinic Program, and Tribal Peace Farm.
At the moment, IHF works in Kenya, Indonesia, and Thailand.
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The Education Program
The TEP sponsorship program was created to assist impoverished children who can not afford the costs of public schooling.
Unfortunately, public education is not free in most developing countries where students are required to pay for their tuition and if not direct tuition then they are required to pay for "teacher special fees" or "desk fees" or mandatory replacement uniforms or books, exams, and graduation and other ceremonies. These fees are why the poorest children are never able to attend. Instead, they work in sweatshops and rice fields, perpetuating the family's poverty. Sponsors are encouraged to communicate with each child thereby forging links between people of varying cultures to learn about each other and grow together.
TEP embodies IHF's "Pass It On" philosophy, a philosophy that encourages people who have received a free education to pass it on to others. For only USD $10.00 per month a TEP sponsorship allows a child to attend public school with 100% of the money going towards the children's school costs.
IHF verifies that all TEP applicants are actually the poorest of the poor by sending volunteers to the children's homes and, in order to insure that all donated money is only spent on schooling, TEP recipients are required to obtain a principal's or director's signature for all expenses.
As I live amongst the poor people of Indonesia, I come to realize the importance of education in anyone's lives. Educate! Educate! Educate! Not only as far as qualification goes when one is to look for a job, education is an important part of one's core mindset as one progress through life, both professionally and personally.
IHF mission to educate about the poor is certainly one that I fully support.
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