In the past three years, the QGroup Foundation has awarded 30 scholarships to deserving students across the seven regional educational directorates. The scholarship covers tuition fees, a new laptop, and a MIFI device equipped with free internet access for the entire duration of the four-year programme.
The requirements are that applicant must be a Gambian, completed grade 12 WASSCE or IGCSC and must gain admission to the University of The Gambia in one of the STEM disciplines. The foundation promised to increase the scholarship to 20 students next year.
Claudiana Cole, the minister of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE), explained that her ministry partners with QGroup Foundation in many aspects, citing that during the Covid-19, the Foundation supported them with one million dalasis to improve digital learning.
She added that this is the third consecutive year that the Foundation is supporting students who have excelled in their grade 12 WASSCE to be able to pursue their studies and achieve their dreams.
“For the beneficiaries, you should count yourselves very lucky because it’s very difficult to get a scholarship. Because of the background you come from, your parents are not refusing to support you to higher education but it’s because they are not in the position to,” she stated.
Mrs. Isatou Secka Jah, Executive Director of QGroup Foundation, explained that since the inception of the QGroup Foundation in 2016, they have been supporting initiatives focused on sustainable development in the areas of education, health, youth and community development. He continued that they have partnered with many institutions along the way, while describing their partnership with MOBSE as a special one.
“Our relationship goes way back to 2010 when QCell was launched but was formalised in 2018 through an MoU to establish a cooperative relationship and to promote partnership based on active dialogue and interaction in the development of education,” she recalled.
She reiterated that together, they have partnered to work on many issues such as organising national ‘spelling bees’; fighting the corona pandemic and keeping students safe and support in hosting regional conferences.
She pointed out that one of the major hurdles affecting intakes in Science and Technology at the tertiary level is the lack of teachers and teaching materials in the Basic and Secondary Schools.
Ousman Bah, director of science and technology at MOBSE, expressed delight over the gesture, stating that STEM is one of the most important areas in the development of any country. He added some countries developed rapidly because of STEM.
Among other speakers, the CEO of QGroup, Mr. Muhammed Jah gave a vibrant lecture on the importance of education and its power to build and develop students to become the genius they wished for.
