Scholarships in Favour of Young Women Wishing to Endorse Theological Studies at the Ecclesiastical Universities

Project location: Italy, Rome
Project start date: September 2008 - Project end date: This project covers various years
Project number: 2008-07
Beneficiary: Conservatorio SS. Concezione

 [2010-85]

In the Academic Year 2008/2009, the Nando Peretti Foundation provided the Convitto Santa Cecilia a grant for two complete scholarships for students from developing countries.
The first student was Bernadette Tulombe, from Cananga (Congo-Africa), registered for a two years course in Philosophy at Pontifical Lateran University. She was sent to Italy by her religious Congregation "Sisters of St. Vicent De'Paul" to complete her religious and pastoral formation necessary for her pastoral work. The student actually is part of the group for liturgical animation; this group has the responsibility to promote common prayer and to enrich it by liturgical tradition of different Church of origin. She took part in various cultural activities. She had exams in the months of June and September with good results.
Other two students from Romania received a partial contribution for the completion of the monthly payment for food and accommodation.
The first student was Talida from Translivania (Romania), of Greek Catholic religion. She has been in the College for five years and has obtained her doctorate in journalism at the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS), faculty of Science of Social Communication. She is back to her Country where she now makes herself available for work in the diocese. She will start the office of social communication to create a diocesan journal. In the same context of Cecilian community she has participated actively in the community life giving her contribution of witness of service compatible with the study and exams.
The other student, Monica who comes from Mircesti (Romania), studies in the Pontifical Salesian University(UPS), registered in faculty of Science of Education for the second year of the course. She has attended class regularly; she participated in the formative activity for the preparation necessary for the future mission. She passed all the exams of the first year in the two sessions of June and September.

This year, for the Academic Year 2010/2011, the project aims at providing scholarships to give support to other three Theology students coming from poor Countries, with the same formula of the last years: for one student a complete scholarship for one year, and two half year scholarships for other two students.
The project received a grant from the Nando Peretti Foundation. In developing countries women and girls are the most disadvantaged in terms of possibilities of education. This initiative will help in raising awareness that education should be considered a community's goal and should be ensured to everyone. Women are good heralds of knowledge, ethical values and progress, starting from the family but also in religious and pastoral communities.