It was in «coffee conversations» that the idea of creating the Algarve Jovem Association arose. Miguel Brito Oliveira, who is the president, and his colleagues realized the difficulties some students were going through. Despite the existence of DGES grants, «I know two cases of fellow students who even had to give up for lack of money», he reveals. Today, the Association wants to help needy students at the University of the Algarve (UAlg) and believes it will be able to pay the first tuition fee to one this year.
Miguel Oliveira is well acquainted with the world of scholarships awarded by the General Directorate of Higher Education (DGES). Despite already having a master's degree, this gem from Alentejo headed to the Algarve to attend a degree in Tourism and was awarded a scholarship. However, “the criteria for accessing a grant are very meticulous. The process is complex and requires a lot of documents. I know people who were left without a grant for a matter of cents», he told the Sul Informação. Added to this is the fact that sometimes the results are only known in January, when the school year starts in September.
It is also to fill these gaps that the Associação Algarve Jovem was born. «We want to create one more resource that can come to help», says, enthusiastically, Miguel Brito Oliveira. The selection process for needy students will be based, in effect, on the award of DGES grants.
After a meeting with António Cabecinha, director of UAlg's Social Action Services, it was assured that Associação Algarve Jovem could consult the lists of students awarded a scholarship. As such, «when we have the value of a tuition fee, which is fixed at 965 euros, we give it to the student who was immediately behind those awarded with a scholarship», explains Miguel Oliveira. There has also been a meeting with Professor Paulo Águas, dean of UAlg, who «liked the idea», he adds.
The data available to the president of the Algarve Jovem Association, whether from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) or from the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP), show that, in 2011, only 12% of young people attended school. higher. These numbers “do not mean that the 88% do not attend due to economic needs, but, given the context of crisis, we have to be realistic and realize that many are for that very reason”, says Miguel Oliveira.
Although there are perspectives, «without giving any certainty» that the first tuition fee will be paid «this year», the Associação Algarve Jovem is still in its «beginning, which is always difficult», reveals Miguel Oliveira. Therefore, the Association is accepting "help of all kinds, whether in voluntary service or in monetary terms".
In this sense, «presence at fairs and events is important, as well as attracting partners and sponsors. We also need to invest in merchandising», explains Miguel Oliveira. For now, to raise money, Associação Algarve Jovem is dedicating itself to organizing events, whose profits revert to the entity.
The need for a «home»
Without a space for this, the meetings of this Association have been held on «cafe terraces», says Miguel Oliveira. This reality makes them “less productive, due to the noise”.
The solution to this problem is still pending, but a meeting with the director of the Superior School of Hotel and Tourism Management (ESGHT), where all the student mentors of this idea study, left hope. “They told us they were going to try to give us a space to meet. Besides, we don't ask for much more help because we don't want to overload”, says Miguel, between laughs.
As for the future, in terms of the Association, «the objective is not, for now, to evolve into something for profit. If five or six years from now we see that it is productive and we get more support, which exists for projects like these, perhaps we will consider becoming a for-profit association», confesses the president of Associação Algarve Jovem.
For now, «there is knowledge of students with many difficulties», says Miguel Oliveira. The objective, he concludes with a smile on his face, is “to expand to all UAlg schools and help not just one, but all those in need”.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the Algarve Jovem Association can do so through IBAN PT 50 0035 0205 00013275 03064.
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