Zambia Scholarship Fund – the
Cycle of Educational Success
November 19th, 2009
(Salt
Lake City, November 19) – Her Excellency Inonge
Mbikusita-Lewanika, Ambassador of Zambia, arrived in Utah
this week to participate in fund-raising efforts and to
celebrate the ten year anniversary of Zambia’s Scholarship
Fund, a non-profit organization committed to education
in Zambia. The scholarship program in the U.S. is entirely
run by volunteers and supports education in the poorest
areas of Zambia by hiring teachers for villages currently
without teachers, supplying books, teacher kits and support
materials to help those schools prosper. Since students
in Zambia have to pay for high school education, the organization
provides funds for deserving students who otherwise couldn’t
afford to go to school at all. Furthermore, eager students
are sent to teachers college to prepare them to become
teachers themselves for rural villages, thus maintaining
the education cycle that improves the overall quality
of life for the local population. Education is a long-term
solution to extreme poverty and Zambia’s Scholarship
Fund increases hope and establishes self-reliance by providing
the people of Zambia access to their educational system.
During
a luncheon with representatives of the government and
business community on Thursday, November 19, the Ambassador
expressed warm gratitude to the Zambia Scholarship Fund
for their commitment to progress in Zambia. She said that
by educating the youth, the world provides for its future.
She also mentioned that there are many opportunities for
Utah businesses to develop connections with various industry
sectors in Zambia, with the most prominent ones being
mining (copper, semi-precious stones), agriculture (food
processing technology, water distribution systems), and
information technology. The Ambassador specifically addressed
plentiful opportunities for tourism in Zambia where the
natural environment is well-preserved. As she eloquently
put it “while in other African countries 20 tourists
watch a single lion, in Zambia, 20 lions watch a single
tourist”.
The Ambassador enjoyed an opportunity to meet with the
Utah community and is looking forward to working on strengthening
connections between Zambia and Utah.
For more info on Zambia’s Scholarship Fund please
refer to www.zambiascholarshipfund.org
About:
Zambia is an export destination for Utah Companies. In
fact, Utah exports to Zambia grew 36 times from 2004 to
2008, with major export categories of machinery manufactures
and fabricated metal products.
