By Hafeeza Rashed | Program Manager
Gbowee Scholarship Program
Under AGLI, the Gbowee Scholarship Program (GSP) provides full scholarships to qualified women to attend colleges and universities within and outside of Liberia. GSP provides educational opportunities to women who require assistance to navigate the bureaucratic and financial hurdles that are often barriers to enrollment[1]. The Foundation works with media outlets, local NGOs, high schools and government, and the West African Examination Council to identify qualified prospective students in a transparent process to provide fair access to scholarship opportunities.
Gbowee Scholarship Program places special emphasis on women from areas susceptible to conflict to develop new peace activists, and professional women leaders committed to peace. The Foundation is acutely aware that in order to preserve peace and ensure equitable allocation of economic, social and political development in regions of conflict, women need to be in key decision-making positions. Gbowee Scholarship Program works to secure the financial support women need to develop as leaders within the classroom and beyond. The current scholarship recipients include Gwendolyn Myers, Windor Dorko, Grace Jarsor, Vaiba Flomo, and Agatha Sandy (Easterm Mennonite University in the US); Ma Hawa Ngaima (University of Liberia); Ruth Nyanti, Wanita Kollie and Josehine Gekpelee (Cuttington University); Welma Elwu, Ramona Petersen and Patience Dobson (Mother Patern College of Health Sciences); and Sayea Glahn, Sewon Bidi, Harriet Luke, and Rachel Rambo (Starz College).
Originally, we submitted the names of Ruth Nyanti, Ramona Petersen and Patience Dobson to apply for a scholarship through the Eyptian Embassy to Liberia to enroll at Cairo University. Ruth, Ramona and Patience were the only three girls in Liberia to achieve a Division II score on the West African Examination Council (WAEC) exam in 2010 and 2011. The Egyptian Embassy offered four scholarships. Unfortunately, they were denied admission. This sad news only strengthens the Foundation's commitment to expand access to higher education for women, and to better prepare them for opportunities that will come. Ruth, Ramona and Patience will continue their education in Liberia with full scholarships from the Foundation.
Institutional Partnerships with GPFA formed in First Quarter 2012
Ashesi University, Ghana
Established in 2002, AU has 505 men and women students, and is an accredited, independent university. AU offered twenty (20) scholarships for Liberian women to enroll this fall 2012. The scholarships include full tuition for four years, a free laptop, free meal plan, free accommodation on campus and transportation home during the summer months following their first year.
Eastern Mennonite University, United States
EMU is a private liberal arts university established in 1917. With funding from USAID, the Foundation provided four (4) women peace activists the opportunity to continue and advance their education at the Women’s Peace Leadership Academic Cohort Program. The program is a two-year graduate certificate program.
Starz College, Liberia
Starz was founded in 2007 as the Starz Institute of Technology to provide IT Training, Networking, Software development and educational training/development for Liberians. In 2012, the Institute gained status as a college. GPFA is able to offer five scholarships for women enrolled fall 2012, and five more for students enrolling fall 2013.
University of Leuven, Belgium
UL is offering two scholarships for Liberian women to earn their master’s degrees starting in 2013. GPFA seeks a partnership with Dutch airlines KLM to provide round-trip airfare. All expenses related to study at UL will be covered under the university’s Leymah Gbowee Fund for African Women.
University of Seville, Spain
Formed in 1505, US is considered one of Spain’s top universities. US is offering one scholarship for a Liberian woman to earn a master’s degree. In addition to full payment of tuition and housing, US will provide the recipient a grant of 6000€ ($7295USD) to cover international round-trip airfare, books, medical expenses, and a stipend starting fall 2013.
Vassar College, United States
Founded in 1861, Vassar is ranked among the top 25 liberal arts institutions in the United States. Vassar is providing a generous package of four years of full tuition, room and board, international travel and a stipend for books and supplies to two young women to be identified in collaboration with GPFA to enroll fall 2013.
Current Progress and Deadlines
GPFA announced the launch of the AGLI on 3 February 2012. We are currently accepting commitments to provide scholarships for Liberian women to attend domestic colleges and universities, and establish partnerships with institutions to obtain scholarships. At the Foundation’s launch, nearly $20,000USD was raised towards scholarships from Liberian private citizens. The Foundation’s collaborations and partnerships are broad and deep as it develops relationships with the Liberian community, academic institutions and global companies.
[1] GPFA helps applicants throughout the entire application and admissions process to ensure that the time and expenses of obtaining necessary documents e.g. passports, visas, birth certificates, securing picture identification cards, submitting electronic documents, etc. are no longer prohibitive costs.
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