Social categorisation (Ubudehe) has been one of the biggest factors in poverty reduction. People are put into different categories depending on their financial standing where the poorest receive government assistance; be it work in district projects or financial help for those unable to work. It is also the criteria used in deciding how much a family contributes to benefit the universal health insurance, Mutuelle de Sante that covers about 90 per cent of the population. That is no mean feat considering the limited economic clout this country wields. Ubudehe was even based on when deciding who gets government scholarships in public universities where it was difficult for students from middle-class families or those perceived to be financially stable families to be considered. It was quite a controversial policy, as sometimes because people perceived to be well-off might in fact have more expenses to cover that it was difficult to meet the fees. It is, therefore, a welcome move that Ubudehe will no longer be the main criteria when deciding who gets a scholarship. It will only account for 20 per cent; the rest will be on merit. All in all, Ubudehe and other social protection programmes have been instrumental in developing this country and its people. It is one of those initiatives that are difficult to find anywhere else on our continent, it is our flagship project and we should do everything to make it better. The road to give the best to our people has not always been smooth, but our level of determination has always decided whether we win or fail. That should be the formula students should use when seeking government scholarships now that the level of Ubudehe will no longer be the decider.
