The MasterCard Foundation has extended its partnership with Ashesi to provide scholarships to students from across Africa. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at Ashesi will be focused on helping 240 brilliant but under-resourced students gain access to a premium education, the goal being that these students will help drive growth and development in their different communities across the continent. Ashesi was one of the nine pioneer partners of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program when it launched in 2012, and has already welcomed 200 Scholars to campus in the past four years.
“We seek to ensure that quality education, a proven catalyst for progress, is accessible to as many young people as possible, regardless of their financial resources,” said Ashesi President, Dr. Patrick Awuah. “Working with partners such as The MasterCard Foundation, who share these values, is creating incredible opportunities for young people across Africa to develop the skills needed to lead their continent forward. I look forward to seeing the impact these students will make.”
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program provides quality secondary and university education to economically disadvantaged but academically talented young people living in Africa. Scholars selected for the Program have shown a commitment to giving back to their communities.
Students who receive the scholarship award will be able to pursue any of Ashesi’s six current degrees – Business Administration, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Computer Engineering, Electrical or Electronic Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. In addition, participating students will receive skills training, leadership development, mentoring and transition support. Ashesi will also lead the creation of a national network of Scholars and institutions committed to the Program’s vision; the university will again create a network of African-based leaders, mentors, and change-makers to support other Scholars returning to the continent after their studies abroad.
Having attended college on a scholarship herself, CEO of The MasterCard Foundation, Reeta Roy, believes that the multiplying effect of the Scholars Program could be immense not just for Africa, but the world.
“To me, real success would be if they carry the values of the Program with them — equity, inclusion, solving problems and being very, very intentional about (helping) people who are excluded,” she says, in article for thestar.com. “One day, that may no longer be poverty, but people who are excluded because of gender, age, disability, a different religion or ethnic group. If they see that their mission is to break those barriers down, then I’ll know: I’ve done it.”