25 underprivileged young Zambian women have been selected to receive the Justina Mutale Scholarship to continue their education at institutions of higher learning around the world. The announcement was made at the Official Launch of the Justina Mutale Foundation’s Scholarship Programme, which was held at the Zambian High Commission in London, last week.
The event was graced by Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, Her Excellency Dr Josephine Ojiambo; African Union Permanent Representative to the European Union and ACP Secretariat in Brussels, Ambassador Ajay K. Bramdoe; Founder & President of the European School of Economics, Professor Elio D’Anna; and Professor Chris O. Imafidon, Educaion Advisor to the Monarch, Government and world leaders.
Justina Mutale with Zambian High Commissioner and Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General
Zambian High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Muyeba S. Chikonde (Left); Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, Dr Josephine Ojiambo (Centre); and Justina Mutale, Founder & President of the Justina Mutale Foundation (Right); during the Official Launch of the Scholarship Programme.
Among the 25 scholarship recipients is Zambia’s female teenage boxing champion, Catherine Phiri, who has been selected to study Sports Management at the European School of Economics in Italy. Another recipient is Chibombo-based teenage marketer, Bianca Hamweete, who will study International Business and Leadership at the same institution.
The Justina Mutale Scholarship Programme is an Africa-wide initiative which aims to provide opportunities to academically talented young African women from underprivileged backgrounds in Africa, to pursue higher education at overseas institutions of learning around the world.
Bianca Hamweete Scholarship Award
Justina Mutale and Elio D’Anna, Founder & President of the European School of Economics, holding the Scholarship Award for Bianca Hamweete.
The Scholarship Programme has been set up to equip young African women with the necessary skills and competencies to help realise the aspirations of the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs), as well as those of the African Union's Agenda 2063, in respect of achieving Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in all spheres of life.
“It is also our hope that the Scholarship Programme will enable young African women to take up leadership roles to effectively contribute to the development of Africa from a global perspective and to help achieve a 50-50 planet by the year 2030 and beyond” said Justina Mutale, Founder & President of the Justina Mutale Foundation.
The Justina Mutale Foundation has partnered with the European School of Economics and other prestigious institutions around the world to offer both Undergraduate and Post Graduate courses to their scholarship students, including International Business; Leadership; and STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Catherine Phiri Scholarship Award
Justina Mutale with Elio D’Anna, Founder & President of the European School of Economics, holding the Scholarship Award for Catherine Phiri.
Receiving the Scholarship Awards on behalf Catherine Phiri and Bianca Hamweete, Zambian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr Muyeba S. Chikonde said that Zambia attaches great importance to the empowerment of women and girls.
“We all need to acknowledge that our Governments do not have all the answers, nor the requisite resources to solve the problems that our Continent faces regarding educating our youth, especially our young women and girls. Our scholarship programmes aims to give young women from Africa an opportunity of a lifetime. Cross-cultural learning and studying abroad can be transformative to one’s future and outlook on life”, said Justina Mutale.