"A balance of give and take"

The scholarship program Passo Fundo was established by Professor Werner Wittkowski in 1988. The goal of the association based in Münster, Germany, is to allow talented young Brazilians from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue university studies. ALTANA supports this project. We spoke with Professor Wittkowski on the educational opportunities of needy young people.

Professor Wittkowski, where did the idea to support needy young Brazilians originate?

The idea to support scholarships grew out of the children’s support fund Passo Fundo in 1988. This organization funds schooling for children from poor neighborhoods through sponsorships. We took over the task to keep funding the education of es­pecially talented students in this group and to allow them to pursue a university de­gree. In Brazil, only a well-heeled minority has access to high-quality education. Parallel to its abysmal public schools and a small number of openings in state-run universities, the country has a booming education market with expensive private schools and privately run universities. The latter provide two thirds of all university study opportunities.

What is the exact purpose of the initia­tive?

Our project is based on a balance of give and take, in which talented young Brazil­ians receive scholarships for university studies, but are expected to give back by getting involved in social projects.

Passo Fundo sees the scholarship recipi­ents as multipliers for greater social jus­tice. There is talk about balancing the support given to scholarship recipients with the expectations placed on them. Can you explain that in more detail?

Indeed, this issue is at the core of our initia­tive. The students are expected to address the social problems of their country and city and plan their own social projects. Typically, this involves working in poor neighbor­hoods with various target groups and regional focus topics. However, helping children and teenagers is definitely the top priority. For instance, two groups offer free preparation courses for the university entrance examination. In other cases, scholarship recipients have created income options for the inhabitants of a poor neigh­borhood by establishing a recycling coop­erative, which is now receiving city support. With such qualified work, our scholarship recipients become multipliers for sustained change. They take their sensitivity for social problems and the shared experience of achieving lasting success with initiatives of their own into their professional lives.

 

 

You mentioned that the acceptance for the scholarship program has a tempo­rary and a permanent phase. What is meant by that?

The intensive work with the scholarship students through our partner organizations includes supervision of social projects and monitoring of course grades. Typically, it is decided during the first year whether a probationary program acceptance becomes permanent.

What is the importance of socially com­mitted sponsors such as ALTANA?

Although the subsidy guidelines for public funding in Europe allow for supporting school and vocational training projects, there is no provision for supporting indi­vidual students. This overlooks that further funding for socially committed young people is an urgent prerequisite for the sustained development of a country. We therefore have to rely on private donors. Our donor campaigns require very personal information and convincing communication, since we are not looking at immediate emergency assistance, but sustainable de­velopment. The donations of ALTANA are of great significance for us and have allowed for expanding the scholarship program.
 
Which projects were the ALTANA dona­tions used for in 2009 and 2010?

Thanks to the generosity of ALTANA, each of our four partner organizations was able to fund one more scholarship, which are specifically earmarked for degrees in the nat­ural sciences. We also have been able to ap­prove subsidies for the country-wide meeting of scholarship re­cipients in 2010 and for travel expenses of association board members.

 

 

Are there any shared project ideas for the future?

We are currently in the process of establish­ing another scholarship group in addition to the four existing ones in northeastern Brazil, where poverty is much greater than in southern cities. We also hope to improve the national cooperation and coordination of the organizations. An umbrella organi­zation has already been established. We proudly consider our project a model of sustainable development, primarily for social justice. Because of the model’s compara­tively small use of funds and volunteer com­mitment, it could be successful in many developing countries.

How many scholarship students are currently part of the program?

We currently support seventy students.

What is the role of past program ben­eficiaries?

We expect past beneficiaries to make a commitment to social justice in their job and in society, for example by actively participating in the work of the partner and scholarship recipient groups, commu­nicating through the alumni network, pro­viding mutual support, and repaying the scholarships. All of our past experiences support the theory of Professor Klaus Töpfer, who noted that the sustained development of a country is not the result of charity, but of investment in people.