UoG accepts its first-ever Mastercard Foundation international Scholars. Over a ten year span, the program will educate Scholars from home and abroad. Countries that include South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti will have the opportunity to gain this once in a lifetime Scholarship package that will put them in the midst among one of the greatest networks; the Scholars Program global network.
This year the Program has accepted, through its vigorous screening process, 3 Scholars. Fartun Mohammed, Hamdi Ibrahim, and Mohammed Aden are post-graduate Scholars who are studying at the University of Gondar’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences and they believe this opportunity of joining the Scholars Program will propel them into becoming greater intellectuals and community leaders.
When interviewed Fartun Mohammed who is originally from Somalia expressed her wish to give back to her community by educating one family at a time. The Mogadishu born Scholar wants to create awareness in her home country via Health Education which will focus on malnutrition in children. She also expressed that her dream for Somalia includes all citizens being able to think for themselves and to have sufficient educational opportunities.
Not too different from Fartun is Hamdi’s vision for Somalia. With her newfound education and her subsequent Masters Degree Hamdi, who is studying Nutrition, plans on doing various things for her community. “I plan on doing a lot of things with my degree. Once I finish my studies at the University of Gondar and eventually go back to Somalia, I want to open hospitals for my country,” shared Hamdi Ibrahim. She also expressed her aspirations to also open numerous health centers, which would focus on mothers and children. According to Hamdi this would be essential in aiding the drastic rise of mortality rates.
Mohammed Aden who is the third Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program International Scholar is from Somaliland. He hopes to finish his education in the near future in Health Service Management and would like to apply his time and efforts to increase the quality of care in his home country.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has the vision of developing Africa’s next generation of leaders. The program allows students whose talent and promise exceed their financial resources to complete their education. With a vision that education is a catalyst for social and economic change, the program focuses on developing leaders who are transformative, encouraging them to be active contributors in their communities.
With that in mind, this year’s international Scholars are bound to excel in their areas of interest because of platform and resources which have been invested in them.
By Samuel Malede| Scholars Program Communications Coordinator
