News from the Mission
Young KwaZulu Natal Girls meet Ambassador Bost
Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Fund supports education of disadvantaged girls
April 10, 2007
On April 4, U.S. Ambassador Eric Bost greeted 200 scholarship recipients in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal who are beneficiaries of the Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Fund. The girls are from the rural Nongoma region and were in Durban to visit local museums and uShaka Marine World.
Ambassador Bost hosted a reception to meet the girls and present them with certificates for their participation in the program. "In the past, women and girls did not have many opportunities. It is important that you stay at school so that you can be anything you want to be in life," said Ambassador Bost.
President Bush announced the Africa Education Initiative (AEI) in June 2002, recognizing that the education of African children is vital to Africa’s future economic growth and lasting democracy. The initiative is managed by USAID and is designed to improve educational opportunities for Africa’s children so they may lead happier, healthier lives, and become more productive members of society. There are three components of the Africa Education Initiative, including the Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Program, teacher training, and textbooks and other learning tools. The Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Program aims to provide 250,000 scholarships over four years for primary school girls in 45 countries in Africa. The AGSP strives to reach bright girls who are orphans, handicapped, economically disadvantaged, or affected by AIDS.
In South Africa, approximately 1,650 primary school girls are enrolled in the Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Program across all nine provinces. In KwaZulu-Natal, the program is managed by a local NGO called Media in Education Trust (MiET), which oversees bursaries for 200 girls in grades 5, 6, and 7 in the province who attend eight schools in rural Zululand. The program includes scholarships as well as mentoring activities that promote self-development and provide positive female role models while educating girls about HIV/AIDS. Ambassador said, "the U.S. government is proud of supporting programs that empower youth so that they can help improve their communities."