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500 vulnerable students to benefit from FAWE scholarships this year
Some of the beneficiaries of the FAWE project at Mungula Secondary School in Adjumani District. PHOTO BY MARKO TAIBOT.
What you need to know:
According to Mr. Joseph Adiama, the head of programs at FAWE, a total of 1,800 vulnerable and marginalized students, including persons with disabilities and refugees, will benefit from the project
The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation has allocated 500 slots for vulnerable students in 51 districts across the country in a seven-year period under the project Second Chance Pathways for Increased Access to Tertiary Education for marginalized young women and girls.
According to Mr. Joseph Adiama, the head of programs at FAWE, a total of 1,800 vulnerable and marginalized students, including persons with disabilities and refugees, will benefit from the project.
“This year, 500 students will be recruited, with 80% of the beneficiaries being female and 20% male. Additionally, 10% of the slots will go to refugees, and 5% will be reserved for persons with disabilities,” Adiama said on Tuesday in Adjumani town.
He also expressed disappointment that in the previous project in Adjumani, none of the 27 beneficiaries had a disability. Mr Abraham Makuol Manyok, the refugee welfare councilor, highlighted the lack of skills training and limited opportunities for refugees to study beyond primary seven as significant challenges.
“The government has done so much for us refugees, all the partners have done their best to offer services. But still, there are gaps in terms of education, Most of the refugee children don’t have access to secondary education and tertiary education. I know education is the only offer we shall take home back to South Sudan when we attain peace” Makuol said.
He appealed to the government and partners to create opportunities for skills training for those who have dropped out of school.
The Adjumani district chairperson, Mr Ben Anyama, said there is a need for consideration to be given to students who graduate from vocational training especially students who have done sciences.
“I know you are only considering science students, this will not be inclusive. What about people who are doing political science, and people doing food science, we also have some social scientists. In the future let us design programs to include other beneficiaries,” Anyama said.
The FAWE project officer for Adjumani, Ms Nancy Asibazuyo, said that in Adjumani already about 27 students have benefited from the first phase of the scholarship and graduated.
She appealed to the leaders to become ambassadors of the program so that the program would benefit the right people.
Background
In the last seven years, FAWE and Mastercard Foundation have been able to sponsor 334 vulnerable students with 206 Females and 128 Males who were enrolled in the program. At least 221, with (135 them being Female and 86 Male have successfully graduated from the program since 2017.
