The Vice President of Liberia, Jewel Taylor has applauded the Nekotech Foundation for introducing the innovative SOS-Nekotech-Educo-Usa Canada Master’s degree work-study program which aims at providing scholarships for young Africans aspiring to pursue a master’s education program in STEM in the United States of America and Canada.
The program which was piloted for a period of five years now has many students in the US undergoing their STEM masters degrees, and working successfully. They were fully funded through the loan program.
According to the Liberian Vice President, the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge is what African youths need to enhance their capacity to fend for themselves and also contribute meaningfully to their countries.
Mrs. Taylor was speaking at the virtual launch of the project which had participants from over twelve African countries in attendance.
On her part, the Executive Chairman of the Nekotech Foundation, Dr. Princess Asie Ocansey said Nekotech is spearheading the training of ten thousand Africans who will benefit from a $ 1 billion African Digitization Fund, having successfully completed the five-year pilot.
Under this arrangement, prospective applicants to the programme will be assisted to submit successful applications for admission to the partner universities and colleges who are on the programme.
The fund is a no collateral loan which candidates will pay back while working in the USA/Canada for three years after two years of their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) master’s degree.
The US allows for a three-year Optional Practical Training (OPT) of full-time work during which time the candidates earn $60,000-$250,000/ year.
As a US STEM student herself, she added that India went on a similar route of educating their children in the U.S. in STEM programs and the result is the over $85 billion in remittances India is enjoying annually.
She applauded Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Malawi, Zambia and Cameroon for kicking off this program.
Applicants aged 21 to 40 with a bachelor’s degree are encouraged to enroll at www.nekotechcenter.org to start off with the readiness and English Proficiency College for $236. Certified candidates from the readiness college automatically qualify for 100% prep school scholarship valued at $2500. Candidates are assigned private counselor who helps them to secure school admission, the loan and visa applications. What is unique about this program is their settlement services to provide a soft landing with community for the African students upon arrival in the USA.
Successful applicants will then be assisted to secure students’ loans and their students visa as well. Under the five-year programme, the successful students will undertake a two-year Master’s programme followed by three years of work in the United States or Canada. The successful applicants will receive 100% scholarship vouchers for the 2024 college intake in the US.
As to eligibility, Ida Abbeyquaye the Executive Director of Nekotech Center of Excellence indicated that are “Applicants aged twenty-one to forty years with a Bachelors degree are encouraged to enroll at www.nekotechcenter.org to start off with the Readiness and English Proficiency College for a fee of $236.
Certified candidates from the readiness college automatically qualify for 100% prep school scholarship valued at $2.500. Candidates are also assigned private counselors who help them to secure school admission, and complete their loan and visa applications.” She added, “what is unique about this program is the settlement services we offer, to provide a soft landing with various communities for the African students upon arrival in the USA.”
Other speakers at the event included H.E. Dr. Justina Mutale – Founder Justina Mutale Foundation in the UK, Nekotech’s Zambian partner; Jose Meilo, Nekotech Cameroon Partner; Ms. Ida Abbeyquaye, Nekotech Center’s Executive Director and Mr. Tyson Manering – Educo -USA, SOS-NekoTech’s educational partners for USA Universities and Mr. Gianluca Mauro, founder of the AI Academy.
As part of the events for the launch, Nekotech Foundation launched its theme song entitled, ‘Level Don Change.’