Government Launches New Scholarships for Persons with Disabilities in Kenya
There’s a brand new opportunity on the table – and this time round its aimed squarely at giving people with disabilities across the country a leg up.
Thursday April 30th saw the government announce a scholarship program designed to support Kenyan citizens who live with disabilities .This move is all about pushing education and skills training to become more inclusive – especially where jobs and entrepreneurship are concerned.
Who’s Behind the Programme?
The State Department for Diaspora Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs is at the helm. But thats not the only player involved – the European Business Institute of Luxembourg along with the Crystal Asige Foundation are all stepping up to partner on the project.
Together , they’re hoping to pass on practical skills to learners that will actually get them a job.
Who Can Apply—and What’s on Offer
According to a notice which was released , the programme is open to any Kenyan with a disability who is over 18. Anyone who fits that bill will have access to a pretty wide range of courses
Business and innovation are key areas and then there are the more “soft skills” like communication and education . Courses will include things like Business and Entrepreneurship, Python and AI, Communication, in addition to Inclusive Education.
And its not just basic courses – applicants will get the chance to specialise in areas like robotics, compliance, customer protection as well as a range of leadership training courses.
How the Learning Will Work
Every single class will be online so you wont have to worry about moving house or commuting anywhere.
Its all kicking off on May 11 and will then run for 13 weeks – which is nice and snappy but still long enough to get some useful skills out of the deal
And just to make things interesting the deadline is May 10th at 5 on the dot , so if you miss that – you’re out in the cold.
Funding: Full or Partial?
Now the catch – the scholarship programme will be both fully and partially funded. However not everyone will get the exact same deal . Allocation depends on how eligible you are along with how many places are free, and – confusingly – that’s all decided based on the details you put on your application.
And an added bonus ( or perhaps not ) is that if you’ve received the EBU/CAF scholarship before you will only qualify for partial funding this time round
Important Details Applicants Shouldn’t Miss
Once you get accepted, students don’t have to bother with the foundation when it comes to anything course-related. The European Business Institute takes care of it all – from course materials to technical support.
Same goes with payments, which go straight to the institute.
You’ve got to choose at least 3 courses when you apply. Once one of those courses is confirmed, the ball gets rolling and your enrollment moves ahead right away.
More Than Just One Opportunity
As a bit of an aside, this announcement comes on the heels of another pretty big scholarship opportunity popping up.
Just last week, the DAAD announced they were opening applications for their In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme which covers students all over sub-saharan africa.
On monday April 13th the DAAD posted an update saying the aim of this programme is to give some support to anyone who’s interested in contributing to sustainable development – and helping the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.
Inside the DAAD Programme
What this particular scholarship is actually about is helping Master’s degree students who want to study in fields that are connected to development.
Eligible countries include kenya, ghana, nigeria, rwanda, south africa and a few more. Not to mention a bunch of other qualifications too – engineering, natural sciences, public health, and agriculture all feature on the list of allowed fields of study.
Now, this scholarship is open to postgrads from sub-saharan africa who already hold at least a 1st degree – however, the DAAD have said they’re keen to encourage women and people from less well off areas to apply.
What Successful Applicants Get
Once you do get accepted, the DAAD will give you a pretty comprehensive package. This includes money for living costs, full tuition fees and a yearly allowance for research. Depending on how strong your application is, and how the funding situation is, you might even get the chance to do a research trip abroad.
In Other News: Government Clarifies KSh 95 Capitation Confusion, Says Each Learner Gets KSh 1,400 Annually
Government Launches New Scholarships for Persons with Disabilities in Kenya
