GEORGE HLEIS "I finished university last year... right there on the Mount of Olives." GEORGE HLEIS "My name is George, I'm 23 years old, I live in the Christian quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem." The objective is clear: to allow local Christians to study in their own land, to prevent them from deciding to move abroad to study and then, eventually, to live. Among the many ways in which the Custody of the Holy Land is committed to supporting the local Christian population there are scholarships, in particular those destined to finance the university studies of young people. Br RAMZI SIDAWI, ofm Bursar of the Holy Land Custody "In most cases those who went to study abroad never came back to live here again. By now all our young people want to go and attend university. What attracts young people most is the qualifications and the ease with which they can find a job." Each year a total of 500 scholarships are awarded, supported by two different programs that cover all or part of the school expenses. The recipients are students with a low level of family income who maintain a high average of grades. Br PETER VASKO, ofm Holy Land Custody - Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land "95% of these students now work in the legal, medical, accounting, engineering field. And when we see young people become professionals and being truly grateful to the Franciscan Custody, our hearts are filled with joy." GEORGE HLEIS "There are many kids who do not like the current situation, they would like to go abroad to find better opportunities. I've thought about it too, but I love being in the land where Jesus lived." Br PETER VASKO, ofm Holy Land Custody - Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land "It is extremely important to realise that if we want Christians to stay here we must give them motivation, incentives: this motivation and these incentives arise from the possibility of university education." Read More