Tertiary Application Fees

My family which comprises my mother and five other family members (some siblings, some half siblings, and a cousin) lives in a rented house in Kamanga compound. My parents divorced in 2006, when I was four years old. My father passed away when I was in Grade 8. My mother then assumed the role of breadwinner for the family with her meagre resources from her job as a cleaner at Kamanga Primary School.

I did my primary school at Kamanga Primary School. A government school that is located in the heart of a compound called Kamanga. In my seventh grade, an opportunity to apply for the Kucetekela Foundation (KF) Scholarship came and I was selected as a recipient of the scholarship. This was a life changing moment for me.

Under the sponsorship of the organisation, I went to Pestalozzi Education Centre. While there, I joined clubs like Drama, Press, Debate just to mention a few where I played active leadership roles such as President, Chief Editor and Secretary respectively. These roles helped me know myself better as a person and as leader. As a result, I found myself having the opportunity to represent my school at events like the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting at a local radio station and television stations. I was also selected as the school Head Girl in 2019.  

Under this scholarship, I had the opportunity to experience capacity building projects such as the HIV awareness workshops organized, work experience, one on one mentorship and community service etc. These were all activities organized by KF that were meant to help me become more self-aware with a more defined and clear vision of who I wanted to be in the future.

With the help of KF under the Gap Year program, I was assisted with essay writing skills, problem solving skills, interview skills and leadership skills among others in a bid to prepare me for life in University. I was diligently assisted to make scholarship applications. I was provided with a laptop, a phone, data and transport to ensure that my application process was seamless. I even had the rare privilege of interning at a local bookshop where I was a sales officer and cashier. This experience gave me insight into the world of work. When the opportunity to apply for the Moroccan Government Scholarship came, I applied and was among the privileged few to be granted the scholarship. I am currently at Hassan the First University in Morocco where I am pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and Management. My journey to changing the world has only just begun. 

When I look back and look at how far I have come, I am always amazed and feel so grateful. It is as if all that has happened to me, has always been preparing me for where I am today. I always look back and remember myself in primary school when my future felt so uncertain and unclear because of I was not sure who would sponsor my education beyond primary school. Therefore, getting the Kucetekela Foundation was a game changer in my life. From over three hundred participants I was among the top ten students picked to get this merit based scholarship that took me to a prestigious school. I could not believe that a girl from my background could ever get to such a school.

Throughout my time at Chalo Trust School (Chalo), I strove for academic excellence and excelled in all areas of life. I ended up being selected as the school head girl (which is the highest level of student leadership). I ended up being the Mayembe Leadership Award for excellence in leadership. I also got the opportunity to attend summer school programs such as the Yale Young African Scholars in Zimbabwe, and the Yale Young Global Scholars program in the United States of America. With these programs, I experienced for the first time, diversity and attended seminars with students from different countries. The experiences were rich, and they introduced me to the idea that bigger things can be achieved, and that I too could reach for the stars.

After Chalo, through the help and support of Kucetekela Foundation, I applied for the United World College (UWC), and after a rigorous selection process, I was selected to study the International Baccalaureate program in Japan. I pursued this program for two years and got introduced to a diversity of cultures.  

After UWC, I got admission into University of Oklahoma where I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Economics and Finance. With this degree, I hope to be equipped with knowledge in Economics and Finance which I hope to use in financial corporations as well as governments. I am currently the President and Founder of the University of Oklahoma Model African Union. This space fosters discussions and research on different African countries with a central focus on development. I am also a JCPenney leadership program associate, a program that continues to empower me professionally and propels me to become the leader that I hope to be. I enjoy reciting poems at different events, a talent I didn't know I had until I went to UWC. I also write blogs where I share different stories and research different topics.

As my story continues to unfold, I think of KF the same way I think about a plane taking off. KF helped me take off. KF gave me the speed, force, and acceleration I needed. It placed me in the right environment and prepared me with the tools and skills I needed for what was to come. There is no me the Head Girl without KF, there is no me the student council President at UWC without KF. There is no me the Model African Union President without KF. KF is my game-changer.

I remember my first day at Pestalozzi like it was yesterday. An excited, curious and highly motivated young girl about to be given an opportunity that to many, is only a dream. The following five (5) years went by so quickly but the impact of the type of quality education that I received through the support of Kucetekela Foundation (KF), is one that I am forever grateful for.

Being a KF student means more than just acquiring a high school diploma. It is having the precious opportunity to have an environment that is intentional about developing all round students. That means character, talent, leadership and academic ability among other things. It is having people cheering you on and reminding you of how amazing you are and how much the world needs you. It means being led to, and reminded of your purpose. It means being given a dream, a beautiful bag of special opportunities that are priceless.

I must mention however that at the time I graduated from high school, I was a bit apprehensive about what the next steps would be. I was not sure whether I wanted to pursue sciences or If I wanted to do business studies.  I asked myself questions on whether I would get a scholarship to pursue my tertiary education because I was alive to the fact that if I failed to secure one, then my chances of going further in school hang in the balance.

We made several applications to various institutions, both local and international. When the news that I had been invited to do interviews with the African Leadership Academy (ALA) broke, I was more than excited but also a bit intimidated. I prepared tirelessly by exploring questions on self-knowledge, the cultural diversity at the school and the curriculum. After, the interviews I was among the only three picked from Zambia from a pool of over sixty (60) to pursue my A – Levels at ALA in South Africa. Doing A – Levels at ALA and performing well is almost a 100 percent guarantee that I would get a scholarship to pursue my substantive undergraduate studies.  

While at ALA, I studied African Studies, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Business Studies and Economics. The values espoused by ALA such as integrity, curiosity and compassion contributed to my well-rounded growth. In the second academic year, we began the process of applying to various institutions for our University Scholarships. The process of application was gruelling, we spent nights perfecting our essays and sharpening our interview skills. We spent months on end practicing for our SATs knowing fully well that a good score here meant a decent University and full scholarship.

I must say, these efforts paid off. After successfully completing my A- Levels, I was admitted to the prestigious Georgetown University in Qatar where I am now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and am intending to major in International Economics.I will remain forever grateful to KF.

In order for the students to score high marks and earn a place in renowned institutions, the amount of preparation that goes in is commendable. To complement the students regular class attendance and personal private study, Kucetekela Foundation ensures that during their termly breaks, the students are enrolled into an extra tuition program. This program is designed for students that are in examination classes i.e. That is students that are scheduled to seat for the national exams conducted by the Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) or international examination such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

The extra tuition project is a tailor made program where the organisation firstly conducts a needs assessment among the students to determine areas where they seem to be lagging behind. This is done though discussions with the concerned students and also interacting with their respective subject teachers. Having determined the needs of the students, the organisation then engages a consultant that designs a learning schedule of about three weeks wherein the students are assisted to grasp the needed concepts in the most efficient but effective manner given the shortness of the period.

Various strategies are employed to ensure that the students get the best out of the period. The consultant and team employs teaching sessions, interactive tutorials, individual and group assignments, revision of past examination papers and even remedial clinics for those that seem to be falling behind.

During this period, students are also drilled on how best to carry out University applications. They are assisted to use tools such as Common App and CIALFO in making applications. They are assisted to horn their essay writing skills. Further, they are drilled on how to answer questions during the interview stage, think on their feet and conduct research as they prepare for interviews.

The program has proved to be a very enriching time for the students. This is evidenced by the performance of our students that have gone through this experience. Last year’s crop for instance went on to produce some of the very best results in the history of our organisation with all six (6) of them scoring above 5 first class distinctions. Further, five of those have gone on to receive fully funded scholarships already in various countries and are already leaving to go and pursue either their degree programs or IB programs before proceeding to undertake their substantive degree programs.

There’s nothing more exciting but also a bit scary than completing your high school education. On the one hand, one is excited that they are crossing into adulthood or at least so they think, on the hand, you are a bit nervous about what the future holds for you. The case was not very different for me. I completed my high school education at the end of 2021. I must mention that I was recruited into the Kucetekela Foundation Scholarship in 2017 from Lilanda Primary School and was sponsored to Pestalozzi Education Centre for the whole of my Secondary education. This firm foundation, was a launch pad to better things.

In my final examination, my results were quite exceptional and that has opened up numerous prospects of what and where I can study for my tertiary education. One very outstanding opportunity that has opened up for me is the opportunity to study at a UWC school. The United World Colleges (UWC) is a global movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. At UWC, the goal is to inspire young people to put their talents and energy into social change, no matter which future path they choose. They select promising, passionate students from all over the world, and give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a difference.

Kucetekela Foundation helped me apply to UWC in January, 2021. We were asked to respond to essay questions on various topics. One very striking essay question that I was asked was what super power I would want and why? The super power I chose was the ability to be in more than one place at a given time. I have always had a burning desire to help as many people as I can. So being in more than one place at a given time would allow me to do more, for more people.

After making the top 20 students from a pool of over 1000 applicants, I was invited to the interviews stage. Here several activities were carried out. We were expected to talk about what UWC was all about, its objectives and values. We were also asked which UWC value most aligned with who we were as individuals. Secondly, we were divided into groups. In the groups, our task was to create our own countries. The countries we were to create had to have government structures, a currency, values, cultures and languages. While this activity was interesting, it was heavily tasking. This helped me appreciate the weight placed on the shoulders of those charged with the responsibility to govern us. Finally, we participated in individual interviews where the interviewers sought to test our self-awareness levels. Thankfully after this rigorous process, I was selected among the top four that were offered scholarships into UWC schools.

I will be going to a UWC school in Arusha, Tanzania where I will do a fully sponsored International Baccalaureate Diploma for two years. Thereafter, I will proceed to the USA for my substantive undergraduate Degree Program. My desire is to do a program in communications and media studies. I know that with discipline, hardwork and focus, I will attain my dream.