The East Meets West Foundation (EMW) on August 19 presented 250 scholarships to poor students in seven central localities, including Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam , Thua Thien-Hue, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Da Nang.

The total value of the scholarships for the 2009-2010 school year is 200,000 USD.

The beneficiaries will receive financial support for their studies until they graduate from high school.

The scholarships are part of the EMW-implemented Scholarship Programme to Enhance Literacy and Learning (SPELL), which provides tuition, books, uniforms and other educations costs for poor students.

Starting in 2004 with the first 1,500 student granted scholarships, SPELL has benefited nearly 4,800 students since then in seven provinces and cities, raising the EMW’s total pledged scholarship value to nearly 4 million USD.

As an international non-governmental organisation, EMW has operated in Vietnam for 21 years, covering such areas as health, education, safe water and environment, and construction./.