The official opening of the Yale Young African Scholars Program (YYAS) was held yesterday the 22nd of August 2016 at the prestigious Arundel School in Harare, Zimbabwe. The program will run all week and close on Friday the 26th of August 2016. YYAS is a free all expenses paid for program structured specifically for outstanding high school students from all over Africa who have hopes and interests in attending university in the United States of America.
Yale Young Scholars Program aims to give support to young leaders and encouragement for them to participate in discourses about key issues affecting Africa and the global community at large. Higherlife Foundation founded by Strive and Tsitsi Masiiwa is sponsoring this week long program. Higherlife Foundation is involved in the promotion of education among the less privileged in Zimbabwe and around Africa.
This year’s program attracted 300 students selected and drawn from 18 African countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Cameroon, for instance. The Zimbabwe edition has 100 students from 18 countries. “I would say about 60 % are female students and 40% are male students”, said the YYAS Project Manager Hellinna Ayalew. This is an encouraging trend in Africa to see female participation reaching such high levels of representation. This ought to put a big smile on the girl child movement here at home in Zimbabwe and across all other developing countries the world over.
The daily schedule of the Yale Young African Scholars program consists of three sessions morning, afternoon and evening sessions. Activities include presentations, lectures, in-depth discussions and workshops covering various topics and issues. Topics include leadership, politics, history, student potential and leadership, the process and procedure of applying to universities in the United States of America and so much more. Foreign and local presenters include Eddie Mandhry (director, YYAS), Dan Magaziner, Ted Wittenstein, Dr. Collen Masirembwa, Rachel Adams Founder Narachi Leadership, Mr Douglas Mboweni and Dr. Kennedy Mubaiwa.
The Monday morning presentation was done by Eddie Mandhry and it focused on leadership and ethics. Students actively participated airing their opinions on various issues such as democracy, morality, corruption, and good citizenry and patriotism during this highly engaging presentation. These young people exhibited great potential and intelligence of becoming some of the great leaders we are yet to see as a continent if mentoring through a good education via programs like YYAS are successful.
For those bright students who would want to apply for the Yale Young Scholars Program you have to be between the ages of 14 and 18 and a citizen of any African country. You should be attending school on the African continent and have two years left before finishing high school. Weather you attend school at Mufakose 1 High School or Prince Edward it does not matter as long as you meet the above criteria you stand a chance of being selected.
