San Francisco, July 30, 2013 — The Asia Foundation and The Estée Lauder Companies today announced the expansion of their multi-year partnership to provide socially and economically disadvantaged girls in Vietnam with access to secondary school education. More than 130 young women between the ages of 12 and 15 from An Giang and Can Tho provinces will soon become Estée Lauder Scholars. The program provides the girls with a comprehensive three-year scholarship that includes tuition, books, learning materials, uniforms, and bicycles for transportation. Recipients must meet high selection standards, including strong academic records and recommendations.
“We at The Asia Foundation applaud The Estée Lauder Companies’ continued commitment to improving the lives of young women in Asia,” said Carol Yost, senior director of the Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program. “Together, we are witnessing a vital shift in these young women’s lives, and their parents are now encouraging and supporting them in their education. These scholarships are powerful in transforming the future of the scholars for the better.”
The Asia Foundation and The Estée Lauder Companies recognize education as one of the most critical pathways to empowering women. Access to basic education places life decisions more firmly into the hands of students, allowing them to make more informed choices about the lives they wish to lead. Education provides the skills, information, and self-confidence to become better citizens, workers, and parents, and it is the key to reducing the cycle of poverty.
Since 2004, The Asia Foundation has provided tuition and basic educational materials for nearly 800 highly motivated, aspiring girls and women in Vietnam, making it possible for them to attend primary and secondary school and preparing them to enter university. In 2010, with generous support from The Estée Lauder Companies, The Asia Foundation awarded secondary school scholarships to 70 girls in An Giang province, Vietnam, to pursue their educational goals. Through the newly expanded partnership that will fund an additional 131 Estée Lauder Scholars, The Asia Foundation will continue to educate and protect at-risk girls in the region, supporting the growth and progress of women in Vietnam.
The Estée Lauder Companies is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products. The company’s products are sold in over 150 countries and territories under more than 25 brand names.