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 This foundation offers scholarships to prospective students of optometry, nursing and other health professions as well as to those who wish to pursue other careers such as education, industrial management and engineering.
The foundation also sponsors a yearly optometry mission trip to Peru in which eye exams, glasses, eye drops and small toys are provided without cost to the impoverished populations of Lima, Peru and its surrounding areas.
Our objective is to provide funds to economically underprivileged high school graduates in Peru and other Latin American countries. The importance of post-high school education is paramount for the development of job security and family stability in today's unequal opportunity environment in third world countries. Services provided by trained professionals in the fields of eye care and nursing have a very positive impact on the public health of the predominantly disadvantaged populations of third-world countries such as Peru.
About the Founders
The Olive Tree Foundation For Education was founded by
Dr. William Olivos and his wife, Susan in January 2005.
Dr. Olivos is a native of Lima, Peru. He spent his childhood and adolescence there until he left for the US in 1987 to study at the University of New York at Buffalo, where he met his wife, Susan.
Dr. Olivos studied English as a Second Language and then proceeded to study Biology. He completed his undergraduate work at the State University of New York at Morrisville and LeMoyne College in Syracuse. He left New York for Chicago to begin his graduate work for his degree in Optometry. He graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1995 with two degrees, a Bachelor's of Science in Visual Science and his Doctor's degree in Optometry. He left the US with his wife and then, two daughters, for Peru in 1995 where he practiced optometry with his father for approximately four years. He also taught at the Villarreal University and the Superior School of Optometry in Lima.
In February of 1999 Dr. Olivos decided to return to the US with his wife and three daughters. He worked at the Stuart Eye Institute in Stuart, Florida for over two years, after which he decided to practice independently. Currently he has his own practice in Fort Pierce, Florida; the Advanced Eye Care Center where he specializes in Visual Rehabilitation and treatment of eye disease. (www.advanced-eyecarecenter.com)
When Dr. Olivos is not busy working with patients, he dedicates time to his three daughters and the foundation.
Susan Lackey Olivos is a native of Buffalo, New York. She is a graduate of Williamsville East High School. (Go Flames!) She did her undergraduate work at the State University of New York at Buffalo where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with Departmental honors in Spanish and Linguistics. She earned two teaching licenses for Spanish and French from the State of New York as well. She did graduate work in France and Spain, and in 1992 she received her Master's in Education from Canisius College in Buffalo. Susan taught in the Williamsville Central School District for eight years, after which she taught at St. Vincent de Paul University in Chicago for two years.
When the Olivos family moved to Lima, Peru, Susan taught at the Sir Isaac Newton College where she coordinated the International Baccalaureate Program for French, as well as teaching English as a Second Language. Upon her return to the States in 1999 Susan signed a contract with St. Edward's School in Vero Beach, Florida. She taught there for two years. She went on to teach at Morningside Academy in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Currently she home-schools her three daughters in the 11th, 5th and 3rd grades. When she is not busy home-schooling her girls, Susan dedicates time to studying the Bible, writing books, and working on projects for the foundation.
Dr. Olivos and his wife, Susan have always felt convicted to help the less fortunate. When they lived in Peru they saw the plight of the economically disadvantaged population on a daily basis. They would help people out in small ways; buying clothes, food, school supplies, but they always felt that the root of the problem of poverty was the lack of opportunities for education among the poor. When they returned to the United States, they began to discuss the future possibility of a foundation. In October 2004 they met two beautiful people, Ian and Gail MacPhail, through whom they obtained some very valuable information which eventually led them to the National Heritage Foundation. The National Heritage Foundation is a foundation which umbrellas smaller foundations, so to speak. They facilitate the procedure for establishing a foundation. They also make sure that your foundation is doing everything according to state and federal laws. The work done by NHF is phenomenal, and we encourage anyone who is thinking about starting their own foundation to look to NHF to get started. You may visit their website at www.nhf.org.
Dr. and Mrs. Olivos studied and learned about starting a foundation, took all of the necessary steps to establish the OTFE, and three months later in January 2005 they began looking for funds and scholarship recipients. The rest, of course, is history!
Current Projects:
As always we are looking for funds to continue our scholarships. We also gather funds for the eye glasses, eye drops and toys for the optometry missions.
Aside from the above on-going projects, OTFE is currently working with Mr. David Waisman, the Vice President of Peru, along with the directors of the Superior School of Optometry to pass a law which guarantees scholarship funds for economically disadvantaged high-school graduates for their first half of their education in technical careers, education, optometry, nursing, industrial management, carpentry and the like. We've entitled the project "Derecho del Estudiante" or "Student Rights".
OTFE needs your prayers and support!
Pray that we find funds for our scholarship and optometry missions. Pray that the Student Rights project soon becomes a bill which will gain approval of the Peruvian Congress and become Peruvian law! Most importantly we ask that you pray for the students in Latin America, that they have opportunities to obtain post-high school education.
We believe that to educate the population is to directly and positively impact a country's economy, and to begin the process of eradicating poverty.
When funds for education are top priority of government budgets, some of the inevitable results are:
1. Significant increase in the percentage of licensed professionals.
2. Significant increase in consumer buying power.
3. Reduction in emigration. If people are able to provide adequately for their families, they will be less likely to leave their own countries in search of better economic opportunities. Their skills, talent and money will stay in their own countries.
4. Increased establishment of and investment in small businesses.
5. Significant reduction of terrorism. Terrorist organizations target young men for most of their recruiting. When educational opportunities are increasingly available for young people, it becomes very difficult to convince them to spend their time participating in terrorist activities, especially if their government is paying for their education.
The proper selection of candidates and the prompt distribution of funds of the scholarships will be ensured personally by the founders of the Olive Tree Foundation For Education; Dr. William Olivos and his wife, Susan, via direct communication with the deans and students of the institutions involved.
The Olive Tree Foundation For Education will renew scholarships to students on a quarterly basis, only after they have met strict requirements established by the foundation. Such requirements will include the maintenance of a minimal grade-point average, regular attendance, volunteer work for the community, and professional conduct.
To insure impartiality in the selection of scholarship recipients, the screening, interviewing and final decisions will be made by the founders of the foundation.
OPTOMETRY SCHOLARSHIPS IN PERU
Eye-care education for young Latin-Americans has a multi-faceted objective.
William Olivos, O.D.
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
In 1995 after graduating from the Illinois College of Optometry I decided to return to my native country of Peru to practice and teach. My father and grandfather before me were pioneers of the profession there and had practiced and taught optometry in the capital city of Lima since 1926.
I wanted to continue the tradition.
Realizing the need
My daily commute to work brought me face to face with poverty as at almost every intersection there were men, women and children of virtually all ages selling candy, gum, wiping my windshield for a tip, or simply extending their hands for alms. I found myself thanking God that I was born into privilege and socio-economic favor, circumstances which allowed me to become an optometric physician. I also found myself bothered by the fact that the vast majority of Peruvian youth was not given the same chances that I was given. My wife, Susan felt the same way. We realized that lack of opportunities for education was the root of poverty, and we asked God to show us how to make a difference.
Back to the USA
In 1999 Susan and I returned to the USA with our three daughters, where I practiced optometry in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Susan was able to obtain some useful information about creating foundations. We researched, did our homework, one thing led to another and in August of 2004 the Olive Tree Foundation for Education, was born.
A foundation with a global impact
The Olive Tree Foundation for Education, or OTFE, carries a multi-faceted objective; to fund scholarships and eye-care clinics for the underprivileged populations of Peru and other countries of Latin America. My family and I traveled to Lima in 2004 to establish connections with Peru's first optometry school, La Escuela Superior de Optica y Optometria, which was founded by my grandfather, Dr. Waldo Olivos in 1948. We started with a grand total of six scholarships, the recipients of which have all graduated and are currently practicing optometry in Peru. By 2006 OTFE had sufficient funds to branch out into two other optometry schools in Peru as well as nursing, engineering, industrial management, and teacher-training institutes. We've gone back to Peru several times to interview prospective scholarship recipients. We've also had the privilege of providing cost-free eye care to over 4,500 people in need. In 2008 we will return to interview more students as well as provide more cost-free eye care to patients in Lima and Huancayo, a city in the Andes mountains. To date OTFE has provided over 47 scholarships. In 2008 we hope to fund at least 15 more students.
We are convinced that OTFE has a global impact on several levels, for to educate and provide opportunities for advancement is to begin the process of eradicating poverty. OTFE is not only providing scholarship funds and eye care, but as it grows, it truly takes on a multi-faceted objective in that it helps tackle problems that effect us all, such as illegal immigration, stunted economic growth and terrorism. Young people who are able to adequately provide for their families because of education and acquired skills, are much less likely to leave their countries in a desperate search for opportunities. Their skills and money will remain in their native lands. An increase in the percentage of licensed professionals will positively impact a country's economy through improved consumer buying power, investments in small businesses, more jobs, etc... . Subsequently there will be a reduction in terrorism. Terrorist organizations are alive and thriving in third-world countries like Peru, Colombia, and other areas of Latin America. These organizations typically target young men and women for most of their recruiting. When cost-free educational opportunities become available to young people, it becomes very difficult to convince them to spend their time participating in terrorist activities..
Peru Mission Trip
OTFE annually joins efforts with Kerem El Messianic Synagogue in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the Rotary Club of Okeechobee, Florida, Christ Fellowship Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, and the Rotary Club International of Lima, Peru in order to provide eye exams, eye glasses, eye drops, toys, and other small gifts free of cost to the impoverished populations of Lima, Peru and its surrounding areas. The Superior School of Optometry, Villarreal University and the Barraquer School of Optometry in Peru participate by sending student volunteers in their last semester of study to help with the eye exams.
Our first trip was in July 2005 in which we saw approximately 1,135 patients. The mission was a tremendous success. It's amazing to meet all of these wonderful people and to help them out a bit. The plain truth is that although we think that we are doing the giving, it's really these wonderful people who are doing the real giving. The people that we take care of give us so much unconditional love that we really end up on the receiving end of the whole deal! Our next trips are scheduled for April 2006 to Tacora, Lima, Peru and July 2006 to Cieneguilla, Lima, Peru.
Make a difference
OTFE is changing lives, one student at a time. Our motto is: "Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; keep her; for she is thy life" (Proverbs 4:13). My family and I are working to make OTFE grow. By 2009 we hope to expand our efforts into other countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia and Brazil, countries from which the vast majority of illegal immigration tends to originate. If you would like to help OTFE grow, you may visit our website at www.olivetreefoundationforeducation.org, where you may make a donation, become a mentor to a young student and/or donate eye wear. Thank you for making a difference.
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