African Renaissance - Bursaries and Exchange Programmes

2016-05-19

The provision of scholarships is a critical intervention in assisting youth learners, especially those that
are disadvantaged, to access educational and training opportunities. Through a joint cooperation between the Office of the Premier, Department of Education, eThekwini Municipality, African Renaissance
and Diplomatic Corps in KwaZulu-Natal, a programme to improve the access to bursaries and scholarships for youth in the province has been developed. A major goal of the project is to encourage students to study and extend their working experience beyond South African borders.

During the African Renaissance Festival 2015 under the theme of â€˜Entrepreneurs in Africaâ€™ the Consulate General of India, Mr Rajagopalan Ragunathan, the Consulate General of the United States of America, Ms Frances Chisholm, the European Union Ambassador, HE Mr Roeland van der Geer, as well as the Minister of Economics and Global Issues at the German Embassy, Mr Andreas KÃ¼nne, encouraged the
African Renaissance Committee to actively engage with them in order to advance and further discuss the request on bursaries and scholarships.

Against this background, the Office of the Premier: Youth Development Chief Directorate:Education and Transversal Bursaries in partnership with the Department of Education under the leadership of the MEC, Ms Peggy Nkonyeni was tasked to engage with Mr Kiepiela, the Dean Consular Corps of the European
Member States. The eThekwini Municipality was also approached to be part of the programme. To this end the eThekwini Municipality, under the leadership of the Mayor, Cllr James Nxumalo, has joined this initiative and it is expected that other municipalities will follow suit.

The Steering Committee will work closely with the African Renaissance Trust, a nonprofit organisation through the Vice-Chairman, Professor Sihawu Ngubane in promoting entrepreneurial development of
youth in the Province.

The programme will focus on scarce and critical skills for the key economic sectors of the province. Critical skill shortages exist in the case of artisans and professionals in areas which require maths and science as an academic foundation for qualifying in the field. Further skills shortages occur in the fields
of finance and engineering, in the agriculture, manufacturing, and the creative industries, in the maritime industry, in the knowledge economy and in the green economy.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

Identifying and developing the academic funding opportunities for deserving learners from the previously disadvantaged communities
Promoting career development in scarce skills and facilitating student development and exchange programmes
Empowerment of youth through the facilitation of and fund raising for skills development and training
Exchange of information and cultural experiences among the students
Development of skills and provision of training opportunities for youth in the areas of science and technology
Creation of partnerships between education and training institutions in the Province of KZN (South Africa) and the other institutions abroad

ASSISTANCE

Through the project scholars and out of school youth will be assisted by:

Identifying scholarships on offer
Identifying learners matching requirements of scholarship programme
Assisting learners prepare for any international college entry examinations where applicable
Assisting learners with acquisition of passports, visas, medicals, transportation to the airport (where necessary)
Creating and maintain a database of all applicants and successful applicants
Protocol and etiquette requirement of the country to be visited
Support provided for students for the opportunities and challenges of being an international student

SELECTION CRITERIA AND PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS

The following criteria will be followed for the selection and placement of students:

Outstanding academic performance
Needy students from the previously disadvantaged communities will be given preference
Fair spread of students from all districts in KwaZulu-Natal
Students with good conduct recommendation from religious and community leaders
Students who undertake to be placed in their districts of origin for the first two years after completion of their studies
Students willing undertake courses that are responding to the scarce and critical skills challenges in the Province
Students will be expected to sign contracts with Provincial Government

FUNDING

The Provincial Government and eThekwini Municipality will encourage students to access scholarships which provide full funding to cover the following aspects relating to the scholarship:-

Accommodation
Travel allowance (two round trips)
Travel insurance ( on-flight)
Living allowance
Registration and tuition fees (including books)
Medical insurance (while studying)

The Provincial Government and eThekwini Municipality will assist successful scholarship applicants with the following costs:

Emergency travel costs â€“ these costs include flight cost for a student to attend a funeral for his/her parent/guardian or his/her child. In the case of a guardian proof of guardianship is to be provided.
Incidental costs â€“ these costs relate to local transport costs, local accommodation in respect of orientation, medical assessment, visa application, passport application, and once-off advance living allowance where applicable.

COMMUNICATION AND STUDENT RECRUITMENT

A two-pronged approach will be adopted for both communicating and recruiting students to study on the programme. The Department of Education, District Offices are identified as key strategic entry points for
recruiting in-school youth. Operation Sukuma Sakhe District Structures are key strategic entry points for
the recruitment of out-ofschool youth.

www.kznyis.gov.za