Government Starts Scholarship Programme For 5,000 Youths

The government has commenced with a community scholarship programme that will provide skills training to over 5,000 young people by the year 2026.

The scheme, which is run in partnership with the International Coalition of Fellowship (ICOF), will provide funding for 500 vulnerable youths in each province to pursue various  courses up to diploma level. 

ICOF signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts yesterday, as well as the Ministry of Community Development, to implement the programme. 

Speaking at the launch event in Chibombo, Youth Minister Elvis Nkandu said the programme demonstrated the importance which the New Dawn government places on youth development. 

He said that the government would strive to practice inclusivity and allow participants onto the programme even if they had not passed in two or three subjects at school, provided that they rewrite their exams while pursuing their further studies. 

“The New Dawn Government does not want to leave anyone behind meaning that by the time they are graduating they would have managed to have passed in all the five subjects at Grade 12 level,” Mr Nkandu explained. 

During its election campaign in 2021, the United Party for National Development placed a great deal of emphasis on youth empowerment and the party enjoyed widespread support from young Zambians at the polling stations. The party is now seeking to make good on its promises to provide opportunities to young people, providing them with free education through secondary school and university bursaries funded by money recovered from anti-corruption cases.

Speaking at Wednesday’s launch, the ICOF’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Charles Mwape praised the scholarship programme and explained that he intended for young people pursuing teacher training to be posted back to their communities, in order to perpetuate a cycle of education and development in the regions. 

“Expanding access and participation in higher education has been a major and ongoing concern of most African countries including Zambia,” he said.