Education and training are fundamental prerequisites for development. Measures implemented in education and training would be intended to help build up human capacity, which will enable the countries to achieve sustainable development. The idea, therefore, is to provide the youth with basic IT and entrepreneurship knowledge and above all the practical application which would thus help them directly in living their own lives in Africa.
General Guidelines on Pef Scholarships
The Progressive Educational Fund (PEF), provides support for up to three years of formal graduate-level study. Candidates are selected from African countries. Candidates are chosen on the basis of their progressive potential and commitment to community or national service, as well as for academic excellence. Candidates may enroll in the first degree or first professional qualification programs and may pursue any academic discipline or field of study that is consistent with the interests and goals of the PEF. Once selected, candidates may enroll in an appropriate higher education program in Africa. The program strongly encourages PEF alumni to maintain contact with the Foundation after completing the courses to help them remain current in their respective fields through the expansion of the PEF network.
Methodology
Eligibility for Pef Scholarships
Applicants must be resident nationals of an African Country.
Schools interested in this scholarship fund should submit a maximum of 3 students for sponsorship.
Successful candidates will:
Have experience in community service or development-related activities.
Prepared to pursue a degree or Diploma that will directly enhance their leadership capacity in a practical, policy or academic discipline corresponding to one or more of the Foundation’s areas of endeavor.
Present a plan specifying how they will apply their studies to social problems or issues in their own countries. Commit themselves to work on these issues following the sponsorship period. PeF selects candidates on the strength of their clearly-stated intention to serve their communities and countries of origin, support the activities of PEF, and expects that they will honor this obligation.
PEF Scholarships Training Fields
PEF Candidates may choose to study in any academic discipline or field of study related to the African Youth Foundation’s three scholarship-making areas, which are:
Leadership;
Business and Management; and
Information Technology.
Application process
All applications must be submitted to the AYF office in Germany. Application deadlines are 15. January and 15. July annually. (Please note: Students’ ages should not exceed 32 years. More than one member of the same family cannot be sponsored!). Applications are reviewed and f inal selections decided by the Scholarship Board. The level and duration of awards are determined as part of the selection process.
Type of Sponsorship
Sponsorship payments will help furnish tuition, books, and Information Technology equipment, where possible. The structure of the sponsorship would be such that:
best students from African institutions would be identified to be sponsored in an IT, Leadership, Business and Management course, which would be offered in a higher Institution, acknowledged by the Ministry of Education in the chosen countries, and approved by AYF ;
scholarships are granted for professional, academic, and non-academic programs, vocational training, or specialized courses;
approved students would be granted scholarships. This scholarship package would be in different categories.
orphaned students would be supported financially by getting their tuition paid for by the PEF. This scholarship could also be withdrawn if there is no progress from the individual;
training books would be offered to youngsters whose parents are still alive but not in the position to assist their youngsters fully;
the time frame for the granting of scholarships would not be exceeded for any individual, should the one not be able to complete his/her course during the alleged period.
the approved institutions will present quarterly reports to AYF for Donor’s information on the progress of every sponsored individual.
How the system works
The Scholarship Board will meet twice a year for selection. Selection will be done on a regional basis to ensure regional balance.
Institutions in Africa interested in sponsorship for their best students will provide AYF with profiles of a maximum of three students for approval.
A general approval test for the students conducted by Instructors from one of the African Institutions involved will determine the chosen candidates.
a maximum of 5 students would be taken into consideration per year. (The selection of target group depends on the goal of the program as well as on the available resources.)
under the guidance of teachers in the chosen institutions, the targeted group will also learn, practice, and develop a variety of business skills. The medium to long term aim to be to establish a future entrepreneurial stratum, especially in regions of the low-income population, which can then help create jobs, build community resources and thus help contribute to the overall national economy;
there will be workshops organized by the different institutions, lectures, and seminars on the different training courses that the grantees are involved in, as well as Mentoring by Diasporan professionals if possible.
the principles of society leadership would be inculcated into the courses, thus enabling students to elect their own office bearers and run their own affairs. Teachers would act purely as facilitators and as a link to AYF, whose members would decide and evaluate the student’s progress;
sponsored students would be required to make presentations to panels from the Donor group, Local Business Institutions (LBI), usually comprising of local business people, and the AYF scholarship or advisory board. The individuals whom a panel deems to have satisfied the laid down criteria, receive the “Credit Sticker” for their level of that particular competency to attach to their competency certificate
progress reports of the sponsored individuals would be made available to the funding organizations and Donors minimum once a year;
Employers who will engage students from this program will be requested to contribute a minimum annual contribution to the Progressive Education Fund (PEF) in the first year of employment of the student, to assist other unfortunate ones to participate in the program too.
those who will participate in the program and successfully “graduate” will be known as “AYF and Partners Alumni”.