Introduction

The Dr. Tom Jacobsen Fund was established through the financial support of the Norway-based Company Jarla AS. This fund is named after its CEO Dr. Tom Jacobsen, an engineer by profession. The objective of this fund is to provide financial support for higher education through scholarship and payback scholarship. PDRC selects and provides support to individuals in need of assistance as a result of economic challenges and poverty. The beneficiaries of this program are marginalized Dalit youth of Nepal. Once the students are selected for specific programs of study, they are provided support until they complete their designated course.

Background

PDRC established the Dr. Tom Jacobsen Fund with a vision of ensuring quality, value-based and employable education for the youths from Dalit and marginalized communities. Through this fund, PDRC has launched its scholarship distribution, counseling and professional development opportunities for marginalized Dalit youth.

Procedure

Under this program, we provide two kinds of scholarship support to students at various levels. Scholarships are provided to students studying in grade XI and XII in science and management stream while PayBack Scholarships are provided to students at the bachelor level and above. With the aim of making students both independent and accountable in their studies PDRC provides PayBack Scholarships to needy and deserving candidates who pursue technical, medical, management and other programs. PayBack Scholarship recipients are required to pay back the loan on an installment basis after graduation and the achievement of sustainable employment. PDRC’s main motive behind the PayBack Scholarship is instilling the value of giving and contributing to society upon achieving success in their academic and career goals.

An independent selection committee is responsible for selecting students for Scholarships and PayBack Scholarships. The committee selects the students on the basis of their performance in written tests and interviews, economic status, geographical proximity, caste, and stratification.

Achievement

So far 200 students have been awarded scholarships and payback scholarship support under Dr. Tom Jacobsen Fund. Many students who have been awarded a scholarship in +2 have now successfully completed their high-school and now been enrolled in well-known colleges.

Dr. Tom Jacobsen Fund’s real impact will be seen once the students finish their studies and go back to their communities and work.