• $27M program launched to support 1,800 Ugandan students
• 80% of scholarships target girls from rural communities
• Focus on STEM education, employability, and academic access 

The Mastercard Foundation and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) have launched a new educational program in Uganda worth 95.3 billion Ugandan shillings (about $27 million). The program will support 1,800 students, 80% of whom are girls from rural and disadvantaged areas. It provides scholarships for university and vocational training, with a special focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The initiative also includes access to programs like the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC), a preparatory year that helps students strengthen their academic skills before they enter partner universities. The HEAC program started with 60 students at Busitema University in 2023 and expanded to 300 students the following year.

Despite these efforts, significant barriers to education remain in Uganda. A 2019 report from the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) found that over 700,000 girls between the ages of 6 and 12 have never attended school. It also noted that nearly half of all girls between 15 and 24 are illiterate and four out of five are not enrolled in school. While the literacy rate for girls aged 15 to 24 was 93.02% in 2022, according to Trading Economics, the new program aims to close the educational gap and create a path to higher education for young people facing economic or academic obstacles.

By providing quality training, the program seeks to boost the employability of graduates, especially girls, in an increasingly competitive job market. The focus on STEM disciplines addresses the growing demand for technical skills across various economic sectors. The initiative is part of a wider strategy to promote inclusive and equitable education, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Similar programs, such as those backed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), have shown that targeted investments improve educational outcomes and enhance young people's ability to participate in the economy. 

Félicien Houindo Lokossou