EIGHTEEN students recently benefited from $520,000 worth of scholarships through the philanthropic efforts of the Manchester-based Young Women/Men of Purpose (YWOP/YMOP).

At the third annual scholarship award ceremony at Neil’s Auditorium in Mandeville, founder and executive director at YWOP/ YMOP, Lanisia Rhoden, a former Manchester Festival Queen winner, said donors facilitated the scholarship opportunities to students across Jamaica.

The 18 students received benefits from the Board of Director, Foundation Friends’ and Founder’s scholarships as well as the Peter Parkin Annual Career Essay Award.

Rhoden explained that YWOP/ YMOP, a registered non-profit organisation, was established in 2009 as a community service project.

“The organisation actually started as my community service project when I won the Miss Manchester Festival Queen competition. Based on the impact that was created and the support from volunteers, we were able to continue the organisation beyond my one-year reign as Festival Queen,” she said.

“The organisation has carried out community service [activities] including different entrepreneurship projects where we actually provide training and support to young women and men, not only in central Jamaica, but right across the [country through] technology,” she added.

YWOP/ YMOP has provided career guidance and counselling to young people as well as a virtual mentoring programme. The latter was established last year.

“We were able to expand this [mentoring] programme to young people right across Jamaica… We don’t want to just give you the funds, we want to ensure that we are helping you and guiding you to achieve your career goal,” Rhoden told the scholarship recipients.

She disclosed that the organisation also hosts an annual Christmas treat for children with special needs.

She thanked donors for funding the organisation’s projects.

“The organisation has grown immensely and the reason for our growth is because of the people, the team, [those] who work within the organisation, our donors who funded our programme,” said Rhoden.

Nicola Goodlit, a scholarship recipient, was grateful for the assistance which she said she will use to purchase a stove for her culinary craft.

“I didn’t have the funds to purchase a stove, so when I got the scholarship I was elated,” she said.