Opportunity is Calling - Featuring Higher Life Foundation

This week we feature two opportunities that have made me nostalgic and reminded me of the sweet pressure of being in Grade 12 and having to plan for university (and I say sweet because #nerdvibes). A lot of parents tend to wait too late to plan for funding their children's university studies and I'd like to use this opportunity to remind parents that it's never too early to start doing research on university scholarships and that there are a lot of scholarships out there - especially for children with great marks and a track record of taking part in extra-mural activities in High School. So the planning actually starts with setting children up for success so that a child may attract scholarships from organisations that are looking to support high-performing kids.

One such organisation is the Higher Life Foundation, which is founded by Zimbabwean entrepreneurs Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa. The Christian-based foundation, which is now 25 years old prides itself in supporting more than 250k people in scholarships and leadership development programs. The mission of the foundation is to "invest in Human Capital to Build Thriving Individuals, Communities and Sustainable Livelihood". A mission that definitely resonates with me, #buildpeoplebuildthenation. I found out about the Higher Life Foundation when my sister was fortunate enough to be a recipient of a scholarship which enabled her to pursue IB studies at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa after she finished high school.

While we only feature one opportunity from the Higher Life Foundation this month, it is worth noting that there are other scholarships offered such as the Capernaum Scholarship (for students in Lesotho and Burundi) and the Moshoeshoe 1 Scholarship named after the Founder of the Basotho Nation - King Moshoeshoe 1.

The Joshua Nkomo Scholarship by the Higher Life Foundation is for Zimbabwean students under the age of 21 to pursue their studies in a Zimbabwean University.

Apply Here

The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship Programme is for South African grade 12 students with a desire to grow as leaders and to have an impact on their communities.

It is targeted at students with a desire to study towards a Commerce, Science, Engineering, Law, Humanities, Arts & Health Science (Excluding Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry) degree at WITS, UJ, UCT, NMU, RU, UWC, SU, UP, UFS, UKZN or TSiBA

Applications close on 30 April 2024

Apply Here

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We once again feature opportunities for young professionals and for entrepreneurs looking to take their careers and businesses to the next level

The McCain Global Leaders program is a 12-month personal and leadership-development program that support people around the world who are working in the trenches to advance democracy, human rights, and freedom.

The program includes online and in-person learning experiences.

Applications close on 15 March 2024

Apply Here

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneur Programme is open for all African residents with businesses established in Africa. The programme offers $5000 in seed funding as well as mentorship and business management training for entrepreneurs with businesses established for under 5 years.

Applications close on 1 March 2024

Apply Here

The 2024 Oxford Africa Conference invites current students from Oxford University and undergraduate and postgraduate students from across the African Continent to submit research projects, entrepreneurship projects and development projects. Prizes include £5,000 in prize money for winners in each category and participants may have an opportunity to travel to Oxford for the Oxford African Conference in 2024.

Applications close on 28 February 2024.

Apply Here

Applications for the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) East Africa region programme are currently open for people under the age of 35 who are passionate about making an impact on the African continent - who are based in one of 14 countries in East and Central Africa. Applications for this program close on 1 March 2024. YALI has three other Hubs based in West Africa Ghana, Southern Africa (South Africa) and Senegal; as well as a flagship program - the Mandela Washington Fellowship - which are worth following for future opportunities.

Apply Here

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Accelerator has opened applications for innovators in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. This provides EdTech entrepreneurs with $100, 000 equity-free funding and support. Apply Here

Kenya

South Africa

Nigeria