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The Mum & Dad GrantThe Mum & Dad Grant is unique. It is a "grant and gratitude" combination for
parents who once put their own education on hold for their children's sake. It lets them pick up where they left off when their kids were born. |
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One of these first 24 grantees was Leni.
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About the grant |
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Back in February 1999, Leni turned 19. But she did not celebrate. Her mother had died of breast cancer just five weeks before then and she was devastated.
However, one year later, by then in her second year at university, she decided to celebrate her 20th birthday the way she thought such a birthday should be celebrated. But someone at the party put something into her drink and when she woke up the next day she had no recollections of how she got home and no idea why she was in such a bad state. Two months later she realized she was pregnant. What she did not have: A partner. What she did have: Great ambitions to become an author. She was studying literature and German philology. Leni had great plans for the future and yet, she could not get herself to have an abortion. In November 2000, her twins Erik and Rita were born. Leni and her kids have been Global Natives since 2012, they have three partner families. Emma, their partner family's granny in Barcelona, was instrumental in making the twins aware of the brand new grant program. In August 2018 Erik and Rita applied for the Mum & Dad Grant for Leni, who, 17 years earlier, had dropped out of university because of them, had worked in a bookshop ever since and had taken on lots of extra work as a ghost writer to raise and support them. |
Global Natives celebrated their 10th anniversary in March 2019. The idea for this grant was born a year before during the preparations for this occasion.
The intention: To demonstrate just how important it is that kids and parents support and encourage each other. Family life and education: Both need cooperation to work out well. The Mum & Dad Grant can be applied for by teenagers for their parents and will be awarded once a year at Xmas. Applications are welcome between June 1st and September 1st. Applicants receive notifications no later than Dec 1st each year. 2018: Twenty-four grants were awarded.However, over 1.100 applications were filed.
So naturally, we've been rethinking the application process and the potential number of annual grantees. For this, we had the help of over 400 teenagers who were among the applicants in the summer of 2018. Their arguments have played a major role in further design and development of this grant. For Xmas 2019 a budget of € 2,4 million has been made available for this program. 100 mothers and fathers will receive an unexpected present this year! |
Grant & Gratitude
What can the Mum & Dad Grant accomplish in future?
First of all, it is a tremendous opportunity. It is an opportunity for parents to make a new start in life and a chance for their children to give something back. We want it to be a highly individual program, merging our financial backing with the kids' active support. This means we'll figure out and agree on a plan of action together. The grant will cover a fair share of education and living costs for up to two years. The applicants themselves will support their parents' ambitions by taking on a considerable part of family duties and by being reliable partners to live and learn with.
The tremendous interest in this idea has shown us just how many parents sacrifice their own careers for their children.
And - just as touching - just how many kids long to show their appreciation once they are old enough to understand.
First of all, it is a tremendous opportunity. It is an opportunity for parents to make a new start in life and a chance for their children to give something back. We want it to be a highly individual program, merging our financial backing with the kids' active support. This means we'll figure out and agree on a plan of action together. The grant will cover a fair share of education and living costs for up to two years. The applicants themselves will support their parents' ambitions by taking on a considerable part of family duties and by being reliable partners to live and learn with.
The tremendous interest in this idea has shown us just how many parents sacrifice their own careers for their children.
And - just as touching - just how many kids long to show their appreciation once they are old enough to understand.
