Uganda’s Madhvani Foundation accepting applications from tourism students

Uganda’s largest private education foundation has for the current year increased their funding to 700 million Uganda shillings, benefitting academically excellent but financially-challenged students.

Since the launch of the program in 2003, when some 300 million Uganda shillings were made available, this amount has now more than doubled. Overall, the foundation has disbursed over 4 billion Uganda shillings to help over 2,000 students complete their courses.

Important for the tourism industry, the Madhvani Foundation supports degree programs in hotel management, commerce, and environmental studies, as well as a wide range of additional courses ranging from agriculture and biology to chemistry, actuarial science, architecture, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, nursing, engineering, food science & technology, information technology, and medicine. The students eligible for the program are undergraduate students who have completed their first year of studies at a recognized Ugandan university and graduate applicants who have been either admitted and/or registered for graduate programs.

Said Mr. Roni Madhvani, who is also the Director of Marasa Africa, the hospitality and tourism arm of the Madhvani Group with four lodges in Uganda and three in Kenya: “This year’s theme is based on female empowerment and agriculture. I believe that empowering women means empowering a nation, and nurturing agriculture is giving birth to the future – a future of our motherland.”

The 2015/16 theme has been named as “Achieve your Ambitions,” with an illustration of a lady driving a tractor, reflecting the emphasis this year on female empowerment.

Application forms for the scholarships can be downloaded free from the foundation website. The closing date for submission of completed forms is April 30, 2015.