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U.S.
Ambassador thanks local business leaders for assisting top students
for study in the USA
US
Embassy
August
26, 2010
U.S. Ambassador Charles
A. Ray today paid tribute to two Zimbabwe companies for their corporate
responsibility programs that have enabled nine disadvantaged Zimbabwean
students to travel to the United States for tertiary education.
The nine students were among the 23 students who were awarded scholarships
by American colleges and universities to pursue degree programs
after undergoing the United States Achievers Program (USAP) in 2009-2010.
Their scholarships in the U.S. cover full board and tuition for
four-year degree programs.
"I would like to
give special thanks to Econet Wireless and African Sun Limited for
their generous contribution toward the education of these bright
young students," said U.S. Ambassador Charles Ray. "Your
contribution is testimony of what the private sector can do to develop
Zimbabwe's capacity through investing in today's young
people. My country remains committed to the free flow of talented
students seeking higher education in the U.S. We want to ensure
that deserving students from Zimbabwe have opportunities to further
their skills and contribute to the development of Zimbabwe on their
return."
Leading telecommunications
service provider, Econet Wireless Ltd, donated $20,000 to six USAP
students on their way to the US to begin studies this September.
The funding covered various urgent needs including university fees
shortfalls and personal expenses for Hazel Zengeni - MIT;
Rudo Mudzi - Mt Holyoke College; Tracy Lukwani - Mt
Holyoke College; Desmond Rgwaringesu - Reed College; Elvis
Rambanapasi - Quinnipiac College; and Tinashe Mubvuma-
Swarthmore College. All six students are previous beneficiaries
of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Scholarship fund, a Pan-African scholarship
fund to which Econet is the main benefactor.
Leading hotel and leisure
group, African Sun Limited, donated $7,500 worth of airline tickets
for three USAP students to travel to the U.S. The students are Tendai
Mudyiwa - Kalamazoo College; Norman Chamusa-College of Wooster,
and Chido Matara- Berea College.
Ambassador Ray encouraged
other corporate interests to similarly contribute to the education
of Zimbabwe's top students: "It is our hope that through
more public-private partnerships like these, everyone will recognize
the commitment by Zimbabwe's private sector to educating the
future leaders of Zimbabwe." Over the past ten years, various
corporate groups have donated to USAP students in various forms.
They include private educational institutions, such as ILSA College
and Gateway High School, who provided free education for USAP students
who had left school because of they were unable to pay school fees.
The U.S. Embassy's
U.S. Student Achievers Program (USAP), which targets highly-talented,
economically-disadvantaged students from all over Zimbabwe, assisted
23 Zimbabwean students successfully earn 4-year scholarships worth
nearly $5 million to pursue under-graduate studies in 2010. In the
last ten years, USAP has assisted more than 200 Zimbabwean students
to study in the U.S. Over 1,250 Zimbabwean students are currently
studying in the U.S.
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