Makerere University Mastercard Foundation scholars joined the rest of the scholars to celebrate 10 years of the scholars programme at a ceremony held in Kigali, Rwanda.
31 scholars from Makerere University led by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe attended the anniversary ceremony that took place on Thursday, September 15, 2022.
The VC congratulated the foundation for 10 years of transformative impact and learning of the young generation.
“On behalf of Makerere University, I congratulate the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme on their 10th Anniversary. I thank Reeta Roy and her team for the great work in empowering Africa’s youth,” the VC noted.
According to Dr. Justine J Namaalwa, the Coordinator of Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme at Makerere University, over 300 scholars have completed their academic programmes and await graduation.
Makerere University entered a partnership with Mastercard Foundation programme to support 1,000 academically talented, yet financially disadvantaged students in completing university education while fostering their leadership skills and the capacity to give back to their communities.
In her address, Reeta Roy, the President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation said that the programme not only provides support towards education but as well imparts leadership skills in the scholars,
“Through a network of extraordinary partners, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is enabling thousands of bright and deserving young people to access quality education and develop as leaders who give back to their communities and help to improve the lives of others. Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni are leaders and innovators, activists and entrepreneurs, tackling everything from climate change to health inequity. Their collective impact will be felt for generations to come,” she remarked.
Roy added that they were as well celebrating the milestone that the programme had reached saying; “we are here to celebrate not just an extraordinary program but also an extraordinary story. A story that has swept all of us up in its arc. A story we’ve shaped together, that we are still shaping together.”
At the Baobab summit 2022, the major points of focus were; the journey of scholars and Alumni, envisioning the next 10 years and the impact of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Launched in 2012, the Program began as a $500 million initiative to develop the next generation of leaders who would drive social and economic transformation.
The Program identifies talented young people from economically disadvantaged and hard-to-reach communities, primarily in Africa, and supports their secondary and higher education as well as leadership development.
Initially, the Program aimed to support 15,000 young people. Over the last decade, the Mastercard Foundation has deployed $1.7 billion through the initiative to benefit nearly 40,000 young people, over 72 percent of whom are young women.
To date, 18,544 young people have graduated from secondary and higher education.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has supported nearly 40,000 young people and by 2030 will double its reach to 100,000 young people, primarily in Africa.
