Funding for young people to attend Esperanto events. Yes, it exists, for events both in Britain and in Esperantujo.

Registered with the Charities Commission in May, 1967, NoJEF was the brainchild of former mayor of Norwich Edwin Dean, who had promised to donate £1000 over a seven-year period to facilitate young people’s attendance at Esperanto events. In all, he actually gave £4000; a staggering £29,000 in today’s money.

NoJEF, the Norwich Jubilee Esperanto Foundation, takes its name from the fact that its inception occurred at the time of the fiftieth (so, jubilee) British Esperanto Congress which took place that year in Norfolk’s chief city.

The foundation accords grants that cover voyage and accommodation costs, and joining fees to various Esperanto events, all over the world.

How do I qualify?

Firstly, you must be younger than 26 years of age when you apply, and the event for which you are requesting funding must be in the reasonably near future. (So, no asking at the age of 25 for funding for an event that takes place a couple of years down the line. Consideration can be given for people who turn 26 around the time of the event.)

You must be a learner of Esperanto, and plan to use the language at the event for which you are requesting funding.

Once you’re back home, you must submit a report in Esperanto about the event which you attended. NoJEF will have the right to publish (in full or in part) this report. In cases of exemplary work, NoJEF distributes cash prizes. Finally, two people must be able to confirm your capability in Esperanto and guarantee that you are of good character. JEB members are welcome to ask me (Tim) to act as a referee.

If you meet these criteria, then feel free to request funding by writing in Esperanto to the secretary:

David Kelso
5 Craigenhill Road
Kilncadzow
CARLUKE
ML8 4QT
Britio

davidekelso<-AT->yahoo.co.uk

NoJEF’s webpage is here.

Personal anecdotes:

I can confirm that NoJEF works exactly as advertised.

I started learning Esperanto at the tail-end of 2002. In April 2003, I attended my first event. Not having heard about NoJEF, I covered the costs myself. However, one of the charming people present pointed me in the right direction, and I wrote a letter to the then secretary, Kate Hall to request financial aid for the upcoming British Congress in May, and taking place in Glasgow. Paul Gubbins, editor of La Brita Esperantisto, kindly acted as a referee, and I rapidly received a letter from Kate agreeing to cover my costs, providing that I submitted them in advance and that they weren’t unreasonable. (I had intention of staying in five-star accommodation, so there wasn’t a problem. For obvious reasons, NoJEF won’t be picking up the bar tab.)

It was as simple as that. I sent her a list of costs and agreed to submit a report, she sent me a cheque to cover the costs incurred, which included congress fees, the hotel bill, and my flight to Glasgow and trips from the airport.

I made the most out of NoJEF whilst I was still young enough to do so. I’ve attended week-long events abroad with NoJEF’s help, as have my other friends. I would whole-heartedly recommend that anyone interested in dipping their toe into Esperantujo consider approaching NoJEF for financial assistance, providing that they meet the criteria. If costs are the only thing stopping you from attending, here’s the solution. Now that you’ve read this, “I don’t have the money to go” is an excuse that holds as much water as a colander.

So now you know, I look forward to seeing you abroad