Empowering 100 more girls through education

Some of the current beneficiaries of the University Scholarship Program,
who gathered to say a big thank you to Mr. Merali

Invisible Children Uganda is proud to announce that this August, 100 girls throughout the districts of northern Uganda will be added to the 59 current University beneficiaries of the Visible Child Scholarship Program.

Last Fall, the program awarded a total of 55 scholarships: 4o of which were opened up to any graduating high school female from the Acholi sub-region of Gulu, Pader, Amuru and Kitgum districts. The 15 scholarships for boys were awarded strictly to the recently graduated beneficiaries of the VCSP program.

This year, thanks to a generous donation from a humble man named Pandju Merali, the access to post-secondary education in northern Uganda has more than doubled. His $20 million scholarship fund, dedicated to the memory of his deceased wife, Shirin, is determined to provide young women worldwide the opportunity to receive a higher education. A quote from his recently published novel, Africa 2 America, best describes his reasoning behind why he offers scholarships soley to females:

…I believe that an educated woman can have an enormous impact on both the children and the males in her life. In many developing countries, men are traditionally seen as superior to women and often receive the bulk of educational training and scholarships. By committing to educate women, particularly in higher education, I knew I could help them advance in opportunity, realize more equality within their communities, and ultimately bring about positive change in the region.

Pandju Merali shares his scholarship grant between four organizations, all dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities for those who need it most: Global Giving, UNDP, The Masomo Foundation, and of course, Invisible Children. Over the past year, his funding has provided 463 scholarships to girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Guatemala, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda Kenya, and Somalia. His goal this year: to fund higher education—even to the post-graduate level—for over 5,000 girls worldwide.

IC Uganda is so proud and fortunate to be a beneficiary of such an amazing benefactor. The VCSP staff on the ground are currently hard at work evaluating applications and interviewing select candidates.

Check back on the IC Blog in August for more about the University Scholarship awards…