To ensure that no one is left behind, the United Nations (US) Embassy held a one-day public session with the graduates to deliberate on the sponsorship and fellowship opportunities offered by the Embassy to study abroad. This was stated in an interview with the Agency by the Public Engagement Specialist Ms. Madingane Mapetla on Tuesday.

According to Ms. Mapetla, the number of applications for opportunities offered by the Embassy from the district is not satisfying hence the effort to reach out to them to ensure they have information on what is required to apply for the fellowships and sponsorships. She added that to date they have two graduates who have been sponsored, one has completed and another one still pursuing her studies.

Ms. Mapetla said the Embassy offers opportunities such as  the Fulbright Scholarship program which takes two years for a Master;s in the US and takes applications from graduates below 42 years, and the Humfrey Fellowship which targets graduates below 45 years aiming to upgrade to managerial positions through enhancing their expertise.

She said the Embassy offers community-based organisations grants which are the Ambassadors Self Help fund which assists organisations engaged in various forms of agriculture, and Public Diplomacy grants offered to people who like to sharpen their expertise in various fields. Meanwhile, the American Corner Hub Manager and Educational USA Advisor Ms. Keneuoe Mphutlane said they  provide the youth with information on undergraduate or postgraduate courses quarterly.

  She said they  advise them to engage in online courses to have additional skills that will serve as an added advantage when they apply to pursue their courses. She said they also provide online courses on Youth entrepreneurship, STEM programs, Project management, and Media Literacy. She said all programmes  are for free adding that media literacy programs run for the  year while the STEM program runs for  three months.

Ms. Mphutlane stated that in 2024, they have designed a new program on entrepreneurship and will begin with Masaleng Primary School and the other three will follow.