Americans for UNFPA, the official U.S. sanctioned arm of the United Nations Population Fund, has announced they are accepting applications for the 2008 second annual Student Award for the Health and Dignity of Women. The award winner receives an expense-paid, week long trip, to the countries of Rwanda and Uganda from August 10-August 18, 2008. The winner will not only get to help give women an understanding of global health and the rights of women but they will also get to blog about their journey. The blog will be featured on americansforunfpa.org and also on another mainstream publication that is yet to be determined. The student will also engage in campus, political and advocacy events that the UNFPA hosts.
According to UNFPA, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and must be a non-graduating undergraduate student enrolled full-time at a U.S. institution. Application must also include a resume/activity sheet, reference contact information and respond to the following two short essays by March 10, 2008:
Discuss why the American people and our government should support UNFPA in its mission to improve the health and rights of women around the world.
Discuss how you personally hope to play a role in improving the rights and reproductive health of women worldwide and how experiencing UNFPA programs firsthand in Africa would make you a better advocate than you currently are.
The winner will get to see first hand what women in third world countries are up against to receive such basic necessities such as human rights, safe motherhood , and gender equality. They will get to have experiences that run the gamut from maternal clinics to meeting tribal elders working to stop female genital cutting to innovative ways in the care and treatment of HIV.
Last years winner, Michaela Maynard, hailing from the University of Rhode Island traveled with other Americans to Malawi, Africa while blogging on the website MarieClaire.com.
For further information and to download an application, visit http://www.americansforunpfa.org/studentaward or visit Americans for UNFPA on Facebook.
