Equity Group Foundation Empowers 4,949 Scholars with Leadership and Digital Skills
Equity Group Foundation Empowers 4,949 Scholars with Leadership and Digital Skills
Equity Group Foundation has wrapped up its 17th Annual Education and Leadership Congress, reaching 4,949 scholars from its Wings to Fly and Elimu Scholarship programmes with a fresh push on leadership, life skills and career preparedness.
The activity was held in the Dadaab refugee camp in Form Three of Wings to Fly and Form Three of Elimu Scholarship Programme refugee learners, reaching a total of 1,996 Wings to Fly students and 2,953 Elimu students in Form Three.
The event was themed “Lead, Solve, Sustain: Turning Challenges into Solutions,” which focused on fostering critical thinking and creativity among students and addressing real-world challenges.
Mwangi propels Tech and AI Fluency
In a session at Alliance Girls High School, Dr James Mwangi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Equity Group Holdings said that high grades will not suffice in today’s digital-first age. He said it is important to teach youth to not take in technology, but to create solutions with it.
Mwangi cited a new programme that would come into place after the scholars complete secondary school, which he said is a coding-based programme to equip the graduates to assist in digitizing processes in their communities.
He defined the Foundation’s bigger vision as playing an equalising game to move the entire scholar community to their potential. He emphasized that as technology continues to change and transform industries, the Foundation not only wants to impart knowledge, but also empower its students to forge solutions to the problems facing their communities and the wider continent.
The organization’s role goes beyond academic and career readiness, Mwangi said. The goal is to motivate scholars to walk in integrity, to be bold in solving problems, and to make a positive impact on their schools, communities and country, he said.
Developing Resilience and Career Readiness
Participants used mentorship, leadership, and life-skills workshops to focus on academic achievement, resilience, ethical leadership, and community involvement. They also got the opportunity to meet representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), gender equality activists, industry people and alumni of the programme, who gave them tips on education and work.
There were also sessions on how to navigate the national education system in Kenya, how to build mental strength and self-identity and how to prepare for university life. The refugee scholars specifically discussed strategies to build a future beyond refugee status, and diversity and inclusion discussions sought to prepare students to adapt to various social settings.
Beneficiary Nathan Osere said the programme has made opportunities available to numerous scholars, some of whom have studied abroad and returned home to make an impact.
The Congress comes as the 121 Equity Leaders Program scholars from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo accepted offers from leading global universities with a total of about KSh 2.79 billion in scholarships that will be distributed over four years.
To support the education of young people is one of the best investments that a country can make in its own future – this is what German Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth said in his capacity as a partner of the Foundation with KfW. The programme’s value goes beyond its academic aspects, preparing students as principled and community-minded leaders, he added.
The initiative has awarded full secondary school scholarships to over 60,000 scholars; and 98 percent of them had completed their studies, Groth said.
Kiambu County’s Kiambu Sub-County Director of Education, Jeremiah Kipaiyu, expressed his appreciation to the scholarship programmes for providing a genuine opportunity for learners to achieve their aspirations, calling the assistance a lifeline of a student who wants to achieve a better future in life.
Increased Reach Across the Region
Aside from secondary school support, the Equity Leaders Program has helped 10,505 university scholars in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. Of these, 1236 have received fully funded offers at top schools such as Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and the University of Penn.
The Foundation has also provided 4039 technical and vocational (TVET) scholarships in Kenya and the DRC. Overall, 60,009 Kenyan learners have already benefitted from the Wings to Fly and Elimu Scholarship programmes, and have been supported with mentorship and financial assistance in their secondary schooling.
