The Minerva Foundation provides community grants to other non-profit societies who provide services in the area of Safety for women. It just recently awarded a grant to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre for a project that will provide crisis counselling and emotional support to women around multiple issues that impact on women’s safety and vulnerabilities to victimization, particularly Aboriginal and First Nations women.
When I moved to Canada in 1998, I was pregnant and all alone. I was scared as to how I would take care of my daughter without a decent standard of education. I realized that without English I would be useless so I focused on improving my English by attending ESL classes at Vancouver Community College. When my English level improved, I was confident enough to go for science courses. And in 2003, the Minerva Foundation offered me the Minerva Foundation Award For BC Women in recognition of my excellent grades at school.
This scholarship changed my life as it offered me the opportunity to take post secondary course. Then when I entered the Licensed Practical Nursing Program in 2006, I faced financial problems. Again, it was Minerva that helped me with funds to solve my financial problems. Now I am working as an LPN and have solid hopes of furthering myself in this field.
Thanks so much to Minerva for giving me a life of hope. Thank you so much Minerva for helping me by believing in my abilities.
Sasiratha Uthayakumar, LPN