Igbo group offers scholarships to 100 orphans in Taraba

The Taraba State branch of the Igbo Welfare Association has awarded scholarships to 100 orphans studying in various secondary schools in the state.

The President-General of the association, Mazi Nwokeocha, made the announcement in Jalingo on Tuesday while disbursing money to beneficiaries.

Nwokeocha said the 100 beneficiaries were children of the association’s dead members.

The president-general said that each beneficiary received N15,000 as assistance to continue his/her education.

Nwokeocha said the gesture was initiated by the association in 2007 to give families of dead members a sense of belonging.

He advised Igbos residing in the state to live in peace with their host communities and to continue to be good ambassadors of the Igbo race.

One of the beneficiaries, Johnson Emeka, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended the association for the gesture.

Emeka promised that the beneficiaries would justify the gesture by being hard working.

Chinese Govt Grants Scholarships To 24 Nigerians

The Chinese Government has offered scholarships to 24 Nigerians to study in various universities in China, being part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Chargé d’ Affaires of the Embassy of China in Nigeria, Mr. Qin Jian, disclosed this today in Abuja at a send-off party organised by the embassy for the beneficiaries.

The envoy, who described education as the foundation of a nation, said that “since 1987, China has provided 700 government scholarships to Nigerian students.”

He also added that “237 Nigerians are currently studying in China under the Chinese government scholarship scheme, apart from the self-sponsored ones.”

Qin described the gesture as a “great inspiration for our furtherance of bilateral exchanges and cooperation in educational field between Nigeria and China.”

He urged the students to make good use of the opportunity and ensure smooth completion of their studies with a view to serving Nigeria when they return.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information, Ms. Ayotunde Adesugba, who spoke on behalf of the Federal Government, thanked the Chinese government for the gesture.

According to her, Nigeria and China have come a long way, adding that both countries have a lot to share.

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LeBron James Donates $41 Million To Send 1,100 Kids To College

Basketball star Lebron James didn’t have the easiest childhood. Born in Akron, Ohio, his parents often struggled to make ends meet, which is why they sent him to live with the family of Frank Walker. It is a fortunate thing they did because it was through Walker that James learned of his love and talent for basketball.

Now a professional athlete, James has the ability to help others. And, he’s proven just how loyal he is to the community that raised him by donating a momentous amount of funds to help kids from Akron go to college.

ESPN reports that the star, who often refers to himself “as just a kid from Akron,” partnered with the University of Akron to provide a guaranteed four-year scholarships to the school for students in his “I Promise” program who qualify.

The scholarship will cover tuition and the university’s general service fee – approximately $9,500 per year. All in all, the scholarship should cover the costs for 1,100 kids, which will cost his foundation a total of $41.8 million.

The NBA star announced the good news in June while hosting an event for students at Cedar Point Amusement Park. He said:

“It’s the reason I do what I do. These students have big dreams, and I’m happy to do everything I can to help them get there. They’re going to have to earn it, but I’m excited to see what these kids can accomplish knowing that college is in their futures.”

The criteria to qualify for the scholarship is still being determined, but most likely will entail students needing to graduate high school within Akron’s public school system and achieve standard testing requirements. Applicants will also likely be required to fulfill a community service obligation.

 

“It means so much because, as a kid growing up in the inner city and a lot of African-American kids, you don’t really think past high school,” said James, who bypassed college to jump to the NBA. “You don’t really know your future. You hear high school all the time, and you graduate high school and then you never think past that because either it’s not possible or your family’s not financially stable to even be able to support a kid going to college.”

Scholarship For Virgins: 16 Girls Awarded Scholarships After Passing Virginity Test

A mayor in South Africa awarded scholarships to 16 girls because they are virgins, according to the Associated Press, which said the young women have voluntarily abstained from sex and have agreed to undergo regular virginity tests to keep their scholarships.

Uthukela Mayor Dudu Mazibuko said the funding will be renewed “as long as the child can produce a certificate” saying she’s still a virgin. “To us, it’s just to say thank you for keeping yourself and you can still keep yourself for the next three years until you get your degree or certificate,” Mazibuko said.

The reason this community — located in the eastern South African province of KwaZulu-Natal — introduced the scholarships is because young women are more vulnerable to exploitation, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted disease, according to Mazibuko. Teen pregnancy is a major issue in South African, where 22,286 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 became pregnant in 2013, according to research from a professor at North-West University in South Africa. A survey by Statistics South African found that 5.6 percent of South Africans girls between the ages of 14 to 19 were pregnant in 2013, the Associated Press reported.

At least one group in South African is taking issue with the virgin scholarships. Mfanozelwe Shozi, chairman of the Commission for Gender Equality, said the mayor’s intentions are good but the scholarship is ultimately discriminatory. “There is an issue around discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, virginity and even against boys,” he told the AP. “This is going too far.”

Credit: Cosmopolitan