Last week Equity Group flagged off 128 scholars across East Africa who secured admissions and scholarships to 62 renowned universities in 19 countries worldwide.
The bank’s leadership program is an initiative designed to identify and nurture outstanding students with leadership potential. Since the program’s launch in 2022, various students in Uganda have gained admission into prestigious universities on fully funded scholarships in universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Pennsylvania, New York, among others.
The scholarships are valued at Shs 8.85 billion covering a four-year undergraduate span. Additionally, students will also receive an airlift token of up to $2000 to support their transition into these international institutions.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Claver Serumaga the executive director of Equity bank noted that the students’ success was not only a personal achievement but also wider good to the community.
“Your success will be the success for the entire community. You are going away with a huge plan on your small shoulders, and hopefully you will come back with strong shoulders to transform this community,” he said.
Serumaga applauded the students’ preparation and confidence, noting that they had been well trained and sharpened to compete with peers from across the globe. He also reminded them to maintain resilience and adaptability as they navigate new cultures.
“Doing only what you know and accepting what you don’t know is perhaps one of the hardest things. But just have an open mind,” he advised.
Sam Bwoya, a board director at Equity Group foundation, emphasized the importance of maintaining humility and integrity, urging the scholars to leave a positive legacy wherever they go. Garvin Alimu, a student, shared his story about securing a place at Harvard University to study engineering – a journey he described as filled with risks, sacrifices, and challenges.
“Apart from the numerous rejections from the universities, even preparing for the SAT and essays was tough, but the mentorship and support from Equity kept me focused,” he noted.
Alimu is an alumnus of Kings College Budo, who scored 20 points in the 2023 UNEB exams. Claire Nsaba, a scholar from Kisoro district, also expressed how mentorship and perseverance turned her aspirations into reality.
Pursuing Environmental Engineering at New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus, she said” “Receiving the scholarship gave me hope. The journey wasn’t easy, facing rejection and missing opportunities but I learned that rejection can redirect you to something better. Persistence paid off, and now I am pursuing my passion.”
