The Habele Outer Island Education Fund has just received a packet of letters from Moch public schools on Weno, in Chuuk State. In addition to a note from Principal Akapio Raymond (above) there were nine hand written letters from middle school students expressing their need for Encyclopedias and other reference materials.

Habele looks forward to raising the funds and purchasing these supplies. To learn how you can help, and about about Habele's scholarships, visit www.habele.org.

Habele's recent donation of school supplies to the Atoll of Ulithi has arrived at Falalop Ulithi Elementary School (FUES) and Asor Community Elementary School (ACES), where students are making good use of the paper, pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, crayons and texts.

"These materials will be a big help for our kids." explained Lucy Nery, teacher at FUES on Falalop. "We try to be very resourceful and use our materials wisely, but classroom instruction can be a huge challenge when we lack the basis supplies. We are grateful for all that Habele's volunteers have done to help."

Regular donations to public schools and community libraries on the Outer Islands of Yap are one of the ways the Habele Outer Island Education Fund works to promote academic opportunity and access in one of the most remote corners of Micronesia. Habele also provides scholarships for students to attend independent and private schools in the district capitols.

For more information on the all-volunteer nonprofit Habele, please visit www.habele.org.

Habele donors from around the nation are responding to the Fund's request for assistance in awarding high school scholarships to children in the remote Outer Islands of Micronesia.

"We have been very lucky so far," explained Marc McNamara, of the Board of Directors. "In just the first week we have received commitments of more than $1,200 in addition to the $1,500 promised by board members."
Habele is an all-volunteer non-profit founded in 2006. It works to promote educational access and accomplishment among communities in the central pacific islands known as "Micronesia." The Fund awards scholarships to exceptional students and provides community schools and libraries with books and instructional materials.

Joeann Malchelmar (pictured above) is a Habele scholar attending Bethania High School in Palau. Joeann is a native of Falalop, Ulithi, She first received support from Habele in 2006 and looks to complete her studies as a senior during the 2008-09 school year. Despite growing up on an island with just 400 people, Joeann has adapted well to the rigors of formal education in Palau and regularly receives awards for academic achievement at Bethania.

Joeann, as well as islanders from throughout Chuuk and Yap states, know that education is the key to social and economic development in Micronesia. Habele is committed to helping as many of these students attend school as possible. While Fund directors set a fund raising goal of $3,800, more money would mean more scholarships. Please visit habele.org right now and consider making a donation!