Isatou Jah, executive director of the QGroup Foundation, revealed that her office has been offering scholarships over the years to several students in various disciplines and it’s still doing that. "Our partnership with MoBSE to offer scholarships to students to attain tertiary education at the UTG is very special to us," she stated.
However, she said the partnership between QGroup and MoBSE was particularly launched to address the gap that the country is currently facing as a developing nation with a huge brain drain in hopes of refilling the bucket in the critical areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Being a technology-based group, she said: "We have been having challenges finding suitable qualified Gambians in technology and related fields like other organisations that work in STEM areas. So we decided to lead the way and work with MoBSE, hoping for others to emulate."
"Under this programme, every year 10 students will be awarded a scholarship and the awards will be distributed equitably across the seven Regional Education Directorates. The scholarship will cover Tuition fees and free internet access for the entire duration of their study programme,” she added.
Louis Moses Mendy, the permanent secretary at the ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), said the selection process was not easy but rather competitive. He added that it was not a process that looked at the privileged few, but a process that tried to look at the deserving and promising students.
He added that the process was not only about high flyers, but high flyers who were very deserving. "MoBSE went into some strategy reforms so that we begin to build the labour force that is needed for the country's labour market."
He continued: "The country cannot continue to hire people for jobs needed. There are difficulties in getting Science, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry teachers in this country, but unless Gambians are trained in the Sciences we might not be able to get these teachers, especially in the rural Gambia where they are needed most.
Director of science and technology, Mr. Bakary Ceesay, said no country in this world can develop beyond the education of its people. "That education must be based on science and technology because they are the engine and drivers of development.
However, he continued that for the Qgroup foundation to intervene in the area of science and technology, it’s not only timely but very constructive for the sustainable development of the country.
