AGYA Girls Scholarship Recipients Announced

After a competitive application process, which required all scholarship applicants to complete an online application, the five recipients were selected based on their responses to the application questions, timeliness, their involvement with A.G.Y.A. programs, their family’s financial need, their student progress reports from the past academic year, and their leadership potential.

15 year old Racheal Nankya

17 year old Shamira Naiga

16 year old Shamira Nansubuga

16 year old Shida Nanyongo

17 year old Aisha Kyebakuwadde

Scholarship funds will be distributed during the upcoming academic year, and will be provided by AGYA’s newest partner, the Century City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

By providing scholarships, AGYA hopes to level the playing field for Ugandan girls who, like many young women in developing nations, are fighting an uphill battle against entrenched gender roles, low academic expectations and lack of access to educated female mentors willing to challenge them to be high-achievers.

This scholarship program represents a golden opportunity for girls like 16 year old Nansubuga who was forced to drop out of Senior 4 (10^th grade) two terms ago because she did not have money for school fees. By receiving the scholarship, Nansubuga will return to school next term and continue towards her dream of becoming a film director. Though shy and soft-spoken in person, Nansubuga’s passionate desire to learn came through loud and clear in her scholarship application. When asked to describe how she envisions her life in the next 10 years, Nansubuga wrote:

I envision my self in the next ten years having my own business as a woman and specialist in the things I want to do in future or my goals. Having my own photo studio and may be professional in computers and a teacher…I envision my self being a great leader empowering other young women in any aspects of life. I envision my life in the next ten years traveling in various countries trying to know more about other countries learning about their societies, cultures and customs.

While providing scholarship funds represents the first step, AGYA will also provide tutoring support to the scholars who will be required to meet strict academic expectations in order to keep their scholarships throughout the year.