MasterCard ends scholarship program in Uganda

Scholars from disadvantaged families all over 112 districts in Uganda are likely to be affected after BRAC-MasterCard Foundation ended its scholarship program in Uganda.

Most affected are students from rural areas who cannot access quality education.

Speaking during the last award scholarship ceremony at BRAC regional office, Rubaga where 497 scholars have been selected this year, the assistant program manager, Chakwa Swagatam, said the program was launched in 2013 with a total investment of $46.7m aimed at providing academically promising students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to access quality education.

"The eight year program, targeted 5,000 talented students to complete secondary school and transition into higher education and so far we have reached the targets and those who have finished S6 are over 1013 which is a great milestone" Swagatam explained

He said it is key for development scholars who have passed through the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program and BRAC to pay back to the community.

Swagatam assured the beneficiaries and parents that although the scholarship recruitment has reached its maximum target, there are other programs like agriculture, finance, health and others that will still run.

The regional coordinator of BRAC, Rachel Apio said scholars in S3 and S5 will continue to be supported till S6 as long as they maintain the required grades.

She however warned against indiscipline and poor performance as this will result in beneficiaries being scrapped off the program. 

"Indisciplined students will be scrapped off immediately and those with poor results will not be tolerated because they are not meeting the required targets and vision for and the program" said Apio.

She added that lucky scholars have managed to walk away with full tuition (including boarding and uniforms), transport of 30,000 and pocket money of sh30000 per month and scholastic material paid directly to the students' accounts.

"Parents stop throwing all responsibilities to BRAC, the children belong to you, do your part as a parent, we will do most of the things but not everything" said Apio.

"I have been struggling for help since 2005 when my husband left me. I am so proud of God, he is great, and he does not discriminate when doing his work" Everline Oringa a single mother of four children from Obiya Highland in Gulu said.

"I'm grateful that my son is one of the beneficiaries, he scored 20 aggregate, I was wondering where I will get school fees but I'm lucky" she added.

She explained that when she separated from her husband, did not have any hope for the children growing because her small salary looks after seven people yet she had no house as well.  

"I cried all the time but tears did not solve my problems" Oringa said.

Hajir Nalubega, a parent from Nyamitanga Village in Mbarara district, said after her husband died, she could not afford school fees at Mbarara High School yet her daughter was so bright.

"It broke my heart every time I thought that my daughter was going to sit home and watch his peers get an education because of my poverty but finally God has helped her" Nalubega said.