Fawe-Canadian firm project to keep 1,200 girls in school

A total of 1,200 Rwandan schoolgirls from vulnerable families will have a chance to complete their education over the next nine years, courtesy of a new education scholarship project due to be launched Tuesday, next week. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme in Rwanda is the brainchild of MasterCard Foundation, a Canadian international organisation, and Fawe Rwanda Chapter, a key player in girls education in the country.Fawe is an acronym Forum for African Women Educationalists. Already 200 Senior Four scholars have been enrolled in the project, also backed by Fawe regional office in Nairobi, according to officials. “It is a fact that more girls than boys drop out of school due to several factors such as socio-cultural beliefs and practices, absenteeism, teenage pregnancies, inability of families to meet education costs…this project is, therefore, a response to such challenges on the ground, Eugénie Mukanoheli, the Coordinator, Fawe Rwanda, told The New Times. She said MasterCard Foundation will also run a similar project in Ethiopia the same period. “The idea is to keep as many girls as possible in school, the scholars will have everything they need to study comfortably,” she said. “But the beneficiaries must be schoolgirls who are academically bright but from vulnerable families.” Experience has shown that educating girls not only empowers them, but also enables them to raise healthy families and contribute to their communities, she added. The scholars will be sponsored through university education, while Fawe Rwanda will work with at least 10 select high schools across the country to implement the project. Leadership potential and vulnerability will also be taken into account, the Fawe Rwanda coordinator added. The programme will also provide academic tutorials and training in ICT, financial and leadership skills. Mukanoheli said scholars will also be taught to “give back” to their community. Over the years Fawe Rwanda has implemented several scholarships that benefited more than 6000 students, both girls and boys.

National

Fawe-Canadian firm project to keep 1,200 girls in school