Gift of education will keep on giving

by Alex Browne, Staff Reporter
The Peace Arch News, October 6, 1999
George and Beth Scott pose with Lewis Perinbaum, former vice-president of the Canadian International Development Agency.

She's a local resident with international vision.

Dr. Elizabeth Rowles (Beth) Scott is winner of the 1999 Lewis Perinbaum Award for International Development.

The award recognizes Scott's work guiding the African Canadian Continuing Education Society - a partnership between Canadians and Kenyans who share a goal to help young people help their communities and themselves.

The presentation was made September 18, 1999 at a reception in South Surrey.
Scott and her husband George were founders of the non-profit society, which provides scholarships for African students who have graduated from secondary school, but whose poverty denies them opportunity for further training.

"We were very much surprised when somebody telephoned us and said we were nominated for this award," Scott said.

"I say 'we' not in the royal sense, but because my husband is just as involved in this as I am, but only one person can be nominated for the award and I'm the president of the society."

Scott is the 11th recipient of the the Perinbaum Award. Carrying a monetary value of $2,500, it is named for Dr. Lewis Perinbaum, former vice-president of the Canadian International Development Agency.

Scott's work is about more than offering financial aid to students. She has encouraged growth of the Canadian Harambee Education Society/African Canadian Continuing Education Alumni Association. With guidance from the continuing education society's board and its Kenyan counterpart, the group regularly meets to promote opportunities for young people to become catalysts for change in their communities.

A breakthrough occurred in 1997 when the alumni association raised enough money to offer its own scholarship to a Kenyan student.

"What I did say when I received the award is that it is an indication (the society) has gone from being an international aid-giving organization to being an international development organization.

"It's not just giving money from rich, white people to poor black people - it becomes a sustainable, project which is quite a wonderful thing."

That has been the greatest satisfaction, Scott said.

"Her we are, a couple of retired, elderly people who have found something we can give to others. And now we have 200 students over six years who have received training and are able to get jobs."

In 1998, Scott used a Canadian International Development Agency grant to organize a series of workshops for the alumni association, using Kenyan workshop leaders.

As a result the association has started two projects; one on tailoring and another of literacy.