Honda Malaysia and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced their 5th year of partnership in providing the Honda Dreams Fund (HDF) scholarship to underprivileged youths in Malaysia.
The Honda Dreams Fund provides an opportunity for underprivileged youths to continue their education into tertiary or vocational level. The education received will help to better equip the youths to realize their dreams. In establishing this scholarship, Honda hopes to empower young people by providing them with the means towards a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.Read the full news from Honda Press Release below.
HDF OPEN FOR APPLICATION
Kuala Lumpur, 5 January 2011 – Honda Malaysia and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today announced their 5th year of partnership in providing the Honda Dreams Fund (HDF) scholarship to underprivileged youths in Malaysia. From 5th January 2011 to 31st March 2011, HDF will be looking for the next 20 HDF scholars. This year will also mark a key milestone for HDF as they celebrate 100 HDF scholars.
The new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Mr. Yoichiro Ueno said, “The Honda Dreams Fund provides an opportunity for underprivileged youths to continue their education into tertiary or vocational level. The education received will help to better equip the youths to realize their dreams. Through Honda Dreams Fund, we hope to empower these young people by providing them with the means towards a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.”
“The Honda Dreams Fund scholarship is our way of giving back to the society where we are in. This initiative is part of our vision and continuous effort towards becoming a company that society wants to exist. It is a manifestation of Honda’s tagline, “The Power of Dreams” as we seek to inspire the young and future generations to believe that dreams can come true if they hold steadfast to it and persevere in pursuing their dreams,” Mr. Ueno added.
To-date, eight Honda Dreams Fund scholars have graduated. The list are indeed inspiring – from pilots to doctors, biotechnologists and even a counsellor. “It is our hope that these HDF alumni who are not bonded will now be able to help their own families and positively contribute to the country in their own way. This is the reason why HDF is among the projects that we at Honda are extremely passionate about,” said Mr. Ueno.
To ensure that the HDF scholarship reaches the communities that are truly deserving, road tours are organised yearly when the applications open. This year, the HDF team will continue its effort to reach out to more rural communities as well as urban underprivileged in Sabah, Sarawak, Perlis, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Klang Valley area.
UNDP in partnership with Honda Malaysia will manage and oversee the scholarship awards. In evaluating and selecting the candidates, Honda Malaysia and UNDP work with an independent advisory panel comprising of representatives from various organizations including the All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) and the Malaysian Youth Council (MYC).
“UNDP remains committed to reaching out to the underprivileged and marginalised communities through the Honda Dreams Fund. Everyone has a right to education and the Honda Dreams Fund enables both an outreach and the provision of scholarships to the needy. It assists young deserving students in realizing their dreams through education and skills training,” said Mr. Kamal Malhotra, UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam and UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia. “The Honda Dreams Fund has been successful in assisting underprivileged and marginalised youth, including youth from indigenous communities, in achieving and realizing their dreams. We were pleased to see some of the scholars graduate, of whom a few received best student awards,” added Malhotra.
Honda’s commitment to the society where it is in covers many areas of philanthropic activities namely environment, human development and road safety.
For more information on the Honda Dreams Fund and details of the roadshow, please visit the website at www.honda.com.my/hdf.
Criteria for Honda Dreams Fund
* It is open to Malaysians aged between 17 – 24 years who have at least completed and passed the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examination (especially for candidates wishing to pursue formal tertiary education in local universities/institutions of higher learning)
* Combined Household Income of less than RM1,500 per month
* Candidates must not be receiving any bursaries or financial aid from other organizations, agencies or government.
* To apply, candidates are required to write an essay on their aspirations in realizing their dreams in not more than 500 words.
* Application forms can be downloaded from the HDF website (www.honda.com.my/hdf) and will also be appearing in major newspapers beginning 5th January 2011.
* The HDF is open for submissions from 5th January 2011 to 31st March 2011.
* Throughout this period, the HDF crew will also be going on road tours to different parts of Malaysia where on the spot video applications will be conducted.
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