The Orangutan Caring Scholarship (OCS) was established in 2006 as a joint program of the Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative (OUREI) and the Sumatran Orangutan Society's Orangutan Information Center (SOS-OIC; now Yayasan Orangutan Sumatra Lestari-OIC). The purpose of the program is to award talented and needy Indonesian students in Sumatra with tuition funding allowing them to attend college and graduate programs in Forestry and Biology. Through the program, recipients develop an understanding of the plight of the orangutan from the perspective of the nongovernmental organization. They graduate as advocates of orangutan conservation when entering the government workforce. The collaboration between OUREI (now OURF) and OIC has allowed this program to expand based on available funding. OURF raises and provides the funding and OIC administers the actual competition via outreach to schools, evaluates of submitted proposals, and oversees the selection process to determine the recipients.
The OCS is open to Indonesian students in North Sumatra and Aceh seeking tuition funds for Forestry, Biology, or Veterinary School. One of the requirements of the applicant is to make an effective presentation to a review committee about their research plans. In addition, recipients are expected to work with OIC in learning about the orangutan and its plight, and in helping present the information to students in local schools. Indonesian students wishing to obtain information about applying for the OCS should contact OIC at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Since beginning this program, 33 students have received the OCS. Previous recipients of the OCS are extremely grateful for this support. Click here if you would like to read a profile about each student (2006-2010) as they express their appreciation and aspirations.
We also encourage donations to be made to this worthy program by organizations and the general public. OURF is grateful to those organizations that have already supported the OCS. Donations are fully tax-deductible. Organizations interested in sponsoring one or more scholarships should contact OURF at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The cost of administering one scholarship (2011) is approximately US$1,200. That single scholarship allows the recipient to be able to pay for school tuition for four years as well as cover the costs of research and the final writeup.
We are very pleased to announce that the Animal Health Foundation of California (AHF) will be working with OURF in providing four special, five-year scholarships for students entering the veterinary program in Aceh in 2012. The additional year of support will allow the student to enter the internship program following graduation, a prerequisite to becoming a practicing DVM.
Additionally, we are also expanding the program in 2012 to include universities in West Kalimantan. We will be initiating the Orangutan Caring Scholarship on Borneo with Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program and other organizations committed to orangutan survival through education and conservation programs.
Individuals and other organizations wishing to contribute to the OCS online can donate below according to the following schedule:
Scholarship assistance for 1 year = $375
Scholarship assistance for 1 semester= $188
Saving a Species
