Kasai: public secondary school heads sensitized to girls' scholarships

More than 200 principals of public schools in Kasai Province attended an informational session on Tuesday, August 13, regarding the scholarships awarded by the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC) to female secondary school students in the province. The session took place at the Megha Mart hall in Tshikapa.

These scholarships will be awarded as part of the implementation of the Girls’ Learning and Empowerment Project (PAAF), a Congolese government initiative funded by the World Bank.

According to Ms. Chantal Faïda, who is in charge of scholarship-related matters at PAAF, the pre-campaign awareness-raising tools for girls’ scholarships were presented to participants for the pilot phase, which covers the sub-districts of Tshikapa 1, Tshikapa 2, Kanzala, and Kamuesha.

Opening of the beneficiary school’s bank account

Each secondary school receiving the scholarship must designate two representatives (a school principal and a teacher) who must present a written designation document, their legible voter ID cards, and two passport-sized photos each to open a bank account for the scholarships intended for female students.

The Provincial Director of DINACOPE for Kasai 1, Jean Claude Banjana, emphasizes, “The account must be opened in the school’s name, not an individual’s.”

In his speech, the provincial minister in charge of Education urged school principals to maintain discipline and adhere to guidelines to facilitate the implementation of this project in Kasai.

""This is a good project; be disciplined in the implementation process. You must also take into account the governor’s action plan, which emphasizes the sustainability of free education and the fight against anti-values. Do not accept just anyone; follow the guidelines received, and ensure that the beneficiaries are those intended," he said.

The director of the Kasai 1 educational province, Christian Ilanga, announced that following school principals, parents, religious leaders, opinion leaders, and media representatives will also be briefed this week.

The Girls’ Learning and Empowerment Project aims, through its component focused on improving access to education, to increase girls’ participation regardless of their social status. It is within this framework that scholarships will be awarded to secondary-level girls in Kasaï enrolled in public schools.

A portion of the scholarship will be paid directly to the school to cover tuition fees, and the remainder will be paid to the girl’s mother or guardian.

Willy Kambulu