How Africa’s Future Is Changing

(NC) A strong education plays a crucial role in fostering ambition and providing the opportunity for success. Not only does it nurture the ability to develop self-confidence and realize one’s potential, but for both communities and nations, educated citizens provide a basis for sustainable societal and economic progress.

The sad truth is that not everyone around the world has access to widespread education. For girls in Rwanda and Uganda, the idea of completing secondary school is inconceivable. This is true for 70 percent of Rwandan girls, and 81 per cent of Ugandan girls, whose lack of education perpetuates the cycle of poverty in these countries, not to mention the spread of HIV, early pregnancy, child mortality, overpopulation, malnutrition, corruption and the other obstacles that keep a population powerless and repressed. To these young women, the idea attending university and having a career is not even close to the realm of reality.

Meet Marie Jeanne and Martha. Marie Jeanne and her six siblings were raised by their single mother. Martha comes from a family of five.

It was only through financial assistance that Marie Jeanne completed secondary school. After graduating, she was destined to join her brothers and sisters, who work in farming. She would likely have married young so she could be supported by a husband, gotten pregnant early, given birth to many children, and struggled to support them.

Martha’s father was unemployed throughout most of her childhood. Martha’s parents couldn’t afford to pay her school fees, so she frequently missed primary school.

But thanks to a Canadian organization, Martha is proudly pursuing a Diploma in Business Administration, and Marie Jeanne is now studying Civil Engineering in Kigali.

Martha and Marie Jeanne are changing lives because of an organization called Beautiful World Canada, which provides scholarship packages for secondary, post-secondary and vocational students in Sierra Leone, Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa. Beautiful World’s local partners, which are registered charities in their own countries, provide support and encouragement to the students in their program, and monitor their success.

“When I complete my studies, I plan to use the skills I’ve learned in my program to build a proper home for my mother and siblings, who struggle to find ongoing, stable employment,” says Marie Jeanne. “I plan to support them to complete their education, so that they, too, can realize their dreams.”

History is changing.

More information is available at beautifulworldcanada.org.