Recently, Her Excellency Ambassador Moleboheng Matli who is the president and chairperson of the Women African Tourism Board took part in an initiative to give at least ten girls scholarships to study abroad.
The African Youth Exchange Scholar Programme is an initiative of the Moleboheng Matli Foundation, a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) that is focused on the girl child.
According to the NPO, choosing female learners is not only about issues of gender but it is about how they easily fall victim to early pregnancy, assuming the role of a mother in a child-headed household and therefore falling behind in their studies.
In an interview, Matli explained that the Foundation has collaborated with the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce in the state of Tennessee, through their Historically Black Community Universities in securing ten full board scholarships for the 2024 academic year for girls in South Africa and Nigeria. It is through such initiatives that the NPO aims to bring change in the content, education being the catalyst of change.
“From South Africa, we will be working with Sandown High School in Sandton and Alex High in Alexandra,” confirmed Matli.
During his tenure as Gauteng Education Minister, Panyaza Lesufi brought these two schools together with the aim of merging the different communities whilst making sure that they share resources.
Currently, the Foundation has officially adopted the schools as part of its ongoing process, for them to be part of the change in education and also for the schools to assist the foundation in identifying the top ten academically performing female learners.
What Are Scholarships?
Scholarships are a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education based on criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
They are essentially an award of money that does not need to be repaid and can lower the cost of tuition, making higher education more feasible.
The qualifying criteria reflect the values and goals of scholarship donors. Scholarships also range in generosity, some covering partial tuition and others providing a full-ride, covering tuition, accommodation, housing, and others.
For more information on study abroad opportunities, please visit The Careers Portal website.
