Africa-Press – Lesotho. Standard Lesotho Bank (SLB) has officially launched a bursary fund with the initial capital injection of M650 000 to cover all tuition fees and living expenses of 50
students in high school education in all the 10 districts of Lesotho. The bursary fund was officially launched on Saturday. The fund has been recognized by the bank as an initiative that has potential to
address the plight of gifted but economically challenged Basotho children, who lose out on the potential to be future leaders in the country. Speaking
at the launch, SLB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anton Nicolaisen said, “This bursary also incorporates career guidance, mentorship and psycho-social support
during the tenure of their sponsorship. On average the bank will be spending about M13, 000 on each learner until they finish their Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE) examinations.
We will recruit new students to ensure that the number of recipients remain capped at 50 every year,” he said. He mentioned that the average mark of the students has to be over 70% for them to
qualify for the sponsorship. He said the SLB bursary fund is intended to decrease the number of pupils who drop out of school, especially at high school
level due to financial constraints. He added that the bursary has been pitched towards high school education because the government – through the Ministry of
Education and Training (MoET) – already provides free primary education. He urged the parents and teachers to ensure that these learners succeed. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative Marc Derveeuw also
conveyed his gratitude to SLB and said the initiative came at an extremely right moment. He said these young students are the economic future for Lesotho.
Derveeuw further said the initiative also addresses one of the major concerns which are the high drop out of students, especially young girls due to unwanted
pregnancy, adding that the opportunity will help them in having important roles in their future careers. For her part, the Minister of Education and Training Hon.
‘Mamookho Phiri said the initiative serves as an important milestone in their journey with SLB, of
supporting Basotho and the government of Lesotho. “It comes at the opportune moment when Covid-19 has ravaged our lives and the economy of Lesotho. The
livelihoods of the vulnerable communities such as orphans became even worse during this difficult time. It is at this time when SLB opened its arms and
extended its helping hand to those who have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic,” she noted. She indicated that all these are in line with the Ministry’s envisioned goal of increasing
access of children to schools, from ECCD to high school by removing barriers of tuition fees and any other impediments soonest. She said the ministry is
committed to ensure that all Basotho children have access to basic quality education. The minister commended SLB, for their kindness and generosity to the group of gifted but vulnerable children of Basotho.
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