Makerere University School of Education has partnered with Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), to offer scholarships to refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable women.
28 candidates will benefit during the first year of this arrangement.
This development was actualized by the Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the JRS leadership led by its Country Representative Christina Zetlemeisl and Yusuf Kiranda the Makerere University Secretary.
“As long as one falls in the above category, they will benefit, in all courses whether science or arts,” Zetlemeisl said.
The Scholarship will cover tuition. We emphasize the need to extend educational services to all people. Every child has a right to education as conveyed in the convention for Children’s rights and the Sustainable Development Goal 4, which call for universal access to education,” she added.
Uganda is currently home to 1.4 million refugees leaving in different camps and urban areas, according to the 2018 report of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The report further reveals that over 100,000 refugees are leaving in different urban areas of Kampala.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Kiranda expressed gratitude to JRS for the opportunity given to refugees and asylum seekers whose dreams tend to be shuttered because of instabilities.
“We all need to build broader reception for refugees because any of us can be a potential candidate for refugee anytime,” he said
Makerere University, he said is a public University that should offer services to the entire public, including PWDs, without discrimination on basis of sex, race, color, or political affiliations.
“This initiative by JRS is good because it complements our goal and will help underprivileged women, refugees, and asylum seekers access quality education. We are all that we are because of education may years back we used to do casual work to get our tuition but see how education has changed us, so helping someone get an education is among the good things you have done in their lives,” he said.
Prof. Antony Mugagga Muwagga, the Principal of Education and External College Studies said that the initiative will rescue students who would like to access University education but are struggling in life.
“I want to implore our students to desist from abusing these scholarships. Dint sleep in your rooms, use this time to work hard because the people who donate this money for your tuition do not pick the money from Gold Mines but sacrifice,” he said
John Mary Kisembo, the JRS Project Director said that the selection criteria of the beneficiaries will be announced after the concerned team finalizing with it.
