from ALLOYCE KIMBUNGA in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Tanzania Bureau
DAR-ES-SALAAM, (CAJ News) – THE Airtel Africa Foundation is investing US$500 000 in its Africa Fellowship Programme to support scholarships at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) in Zanzibar.
Initially, ten undergraduate students, enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, will benefit over the entire four-year course.
Recipients of this scholarship will be known as “Airtel Africa Fellows.”
“We are pleased to partner with IIT Madras Zanzibar to provide opportunities for young Africans to access quality education,” said Chairman of the Airtel Africa Foundation, Dr Olusegun Ogunsanya.
“This initiative aims to contribute towards creating a prosperous and sustainable continent. We look forward to creating even more opportunities not just in education, but also in financial and digital inclusion, and environmental protection.”
Founded in 2024, the Airtel Africa Foundation pledges to advance digital and financial inclusion across the continent along with key focus on education and environmental protection.
The fellowship is the maiden initiative undertaken to enhance educational opportunities for meritorious students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds.
It is designed to support students from a number of African countries, namely Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago.
Zanzibar’s Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Lela Mohamed Mussa, said IITM Zanzibar was charting a path in technical education in the region.
“We are thankful to this support from the Airtel Africa Foundation, which will enhance our own efforts in this direction,” she said.
– CAJ News