By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Clarke International University in partnership with the Clarke Group and Rose’s Journey Scholarships Fund, has awarded scholarships to 114 financially struggling students of the institution.
Presenting the 2024 edition of the Students Scholarship Award, Sean Clarke the Chief Executive Officer of Clarke Group, said the scholarship was one of the things the group was doing to assist the less privileged students and guardians.
Sean, who presented letters and cheque to the beneficiaries, said the scholarship would support them to complete their education and contribute to national and international development.
He said the partial scholarship is also meant to promote health sciences, local businesses and innovations.
“We want to be able to transform and empower students to use businesses to become entrepreneurs by creating own jobs,” he said.
Earlier this year, the university announced 100 half – tuition scholarships to new students under the School of Business and Applied Technology (SOBAT) and today, a cheque of Shs60 millions was presented to the admitted students courtesy of the Clarke Group. Also, Rose’s Journey Scholarships Fund presented a cheque of $15,000 (app. Shs54m) to benefit 14 students who were awarded scholarships by this organization. The awarding ceremony was held today at CIU main campus in Muyenga Kampala.
Assoc. Prof Rose Nanyonga Clarke, the university Vice Chancellor who also doubles as the Executive Director of Rose’s Journey disclosed that 30 percent of the students who enter university are unable to graduate. She attributed this to poverty and lack of the ability to pay the required tuition which her foundation seeks to address.
“It’s important that as able Ugandans we stand in that gap, use and leverage on our experience and capacity to enable other students pursue higher education,” she said.
Dr. Rose further noted that Rose’s Journey has benefited at least 72 alumni noting that the 14 scholarships awarded today is not only an increment to the number of the beneficiaries but also an act of empathy to support the less privileged realize their academic goals.
Unlike scholarships awarded by the Clarke Group, she added, Rose’s Journey scholarships target only students in health sciences. According to Dr. Rose, Uganda and the word in particular is experiencing a constant gap of health professionals stating that the scholarships will enable in building human capital development.
While sharing testimonies, alumni and continuing students beneficiaries of these scholarships commended sponsors for their generosity to support their academic journeys pledging to give back to the organizations to support other students facing similar hardships.
“I am thankful to the Clarke Group and Dr. Rose for their unwavering efforts to pick and support young people like me, and I promise to give back to this family to support others,” said Joseph Kwagala, a third year student of Bachelor’s of Medical Sciences at CIU.
He urged students to always use their talents because it was through his musical participation in the university community day that he was picked for a scholarship offer when he was faced with accumulating tuition fee debts.
In addition, Susan Labejja, a beneficiary and student of Bachelor’s of Nursing Science broke down while she narrated her ordeal to attain higher education. She commended Rose’s Journey Scholarships Fund and Clarke Group for supporting her education. Labejja said the offer has become a beacon of hope to her academic journey and pledged to show support to students struggling with financial difficulties.
