THE Justina Mutale Foundation have launched a US$10 million (ten million US dollars) Africa Presidential STEM Fellows USA Programme for Zambia.
Under the name, Justina Mutale Foundation Presidential STEM Fellows USA Programme, the programme will offer students in Zambia, who hold a first degree in a STEM-based subject (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), an opportunity to study at Master’s degree level in the USA.
The Programme forms part of the African Presidential STEM Fellows Programme, which is run as Fellowships Programme for African Presidents; Vice Presidents; Royalty; Foundations and billionaires.
The programme initiators, SOS Global Investments, partners with civil organisations that are involved in championing education and student scholarships provision in Africa.
The programme has been running successfully in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Malawi since 2018. The programme is now being rolled out to 10 more African countries including Zambia and the seven countries in the Eastern African Community.
The Justina Mutale Foundation Presidential STEM Fellows USA Programme will provide a unique opportunity for unemployed and under-employed graduates in Zambia, who hold a Bachelor’s degree in STEM, Business, Healthcare or Journalism to be enrolled in a USA university to study at Master’s degree level, with access to student finance.
“We are honoured to be selected to run this Programme for Zambia. Access to finance is critical to the attainment of advanced higher education. The lack of access to finance has been a hindrance to many Zambian Bachelor’s degree holders to proceed to advanced higher education”, says Dr. Justina Mutale, Founder and President of the Justina Mutale Foundation.
Under the Programme, successful candidates will have an opportunity to access finance of up to US$100,000 (one hundred thousand US dollars) per student to cover their Master’s degree study.
In addition, selected students will receive a scholarship worth US$2,500 (two thousand five hundred US dollars).
The US$2,500 will cover a 12-week preparatory study with the NekoTech Centre of Excellence, headquartered in Ghana, which was founded by legendary US music artist, Isaac Hayes; supported by legendary Hollywood actors, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise and Steven Seagal with the Opening officiated by then Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan in July 2000.
Dr. Mutale says the Africa Presidential STEM Fellows USA Programme is a gateway for African degree graduates, who are unable to find work, to proceed to Master’s study at a USA university, with the option of being placed in companies for professional work in the USA, as part of the work-duty programme after their Master’s degree graduation.
Candidates for the Justina Mutale Foundation Presidential STEM Fellows Programme must hold a STEM-based first degree with a distinction, merit or credit.
Successful candidates will undergo a 12 weeks’ preparatory programme with NekoTech College to adequately prepare them for study at Master’s level in a foreign country.
In a statement from London, Dr. Mutale says activities at the Prep School will include preparation of documentation, facilitation, USA university admission applications, student finance application preparation, pre-departure orientation, and USA life skills boot camp and settlement services.
She says: “The world is now in its fourth industrial revolution and STEM is undoubtedly the most important field that can be used strategically to provide accelerated socio-economic development for Zambia and the rest of the African continent, in line with the Africa Agenda 2063 in this digital age”.
The Africa Presidential STEM Fellows Programme is a brainchild of the SOS Global Investments, a job placement specialist company specialising in placing African and Diaspora workers in excellent and well-paid job positions overseas since 2008.
SOS Global Investments serves as a Consultant on the African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee, as well as the Government of Sierra Leone, where this project has been running successfully.
“The fact that only a few young Africans choose to pursue STEM-related career fields is a big issue. It potentially translates into the fact that regardless of Africa’s talent pool, public and private institutions would have to source workers in these STEM fields outside Africa, using non-Africans”, says Rev. Dr. Princess Asie Ocansey, CEO at SOS Global Investments.
Upon completion of the two-year Master’s degree study, the Zambian STEM graduates will be placed in full-time high paying STEM jobs in the USA for three years with expected salaries ranging from between US$60,000-US$150,000.
Successful candidates will be required to open a dollar bank account and mortgage savings account and to register for a housing programme to enable them to have a stable financial base and own a home in Zambia, while they are studying in the USA.
In keeping with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the gender ration for the Justina Mutale Foundation Presidential STEM Fellows Programme will be 60 percent female and 40 percent male students.
SOS Global Investments in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and Romans 12 v 2 is engaged in spiritual, economic and socio development training of African youth in preparation for high-quality STEM careers during this era of digital revolution, intentional integrity skills, youth transformation, empowerment leadership skills via the SOSTransfer2Transform initiative.
“The Africa Presidential STEM Fellow Programme not only provides an opportunity for human capital development, but uniquely provides well-paid jobs in the USA, for the spiritual and social-economic transformation of African youth”, says Rev Dr. Ocansey.
The Justina Mutale Foundation is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with offices in Lusaka, Zambia.
The Foundation was launched at the House of Lords at Westminster Houses of Parliament in London in 2016.
The Foundation advocates for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in political leadership and economic empowerment by providing leadership and entrepreneurship training, mentorship and coaching.
The Foundation also advocates for quality education and the retention and completion of tertiary education for young women and girls from rural disadvantaged communities in Africa by providing them with university scholarships to access tertiary education around the world.
The Justina Mutale Foundation Scholarship Programme was officially launched at the Chancery of the Zambian High Commission in London in June 2016.
The Scholarship is an Africa-wide initiative, which aims to provide opportunities to academically talented African youth from underprivileged and disadvantaged communities in Africa, to access higher education at overseas.
“The Justina Mutale Foundation Scholarship Programme was set up to equip African youth with the necessary skills and competencies to enable them compete on equal footing with their overseas counterparts, and to help realize the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, says Dr. Mutale.
The deadline for applications to join the Justina Mutale Presidential STEM Fellows USA Programme is Friday, November 25, 2022 for the Autumn 2023 intake.
For more information Email: [email protected]
