Wellesley College joins the partnership with the MasterCard Foundation to launch a $500 million education program. The announcement was made in a United Nations special session. These grants will be awarded to financially disadvantaged brilliant students from developing countries especially from Africa. This $500 million program will support for quality and relevant secondary and university education. It will provide knowledge and leadership skills and with these attributes the students will be able to contribute to economic and social progress across Africa. Wellesley is one of the ten higher education institutions partnering with the MasterCard Foundation.

The United Nation told that MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program is a creative model for educating youngsters and encouraging citizenship. The MasterCard Foundation supports micro finance and youth learning to promote financial inclusion and prosperity. The foundation with  partnership in 49 countries is helping for the development of people under poverty line and also making their lives better.

President H. Kim Bottomly, Wellesley College, said that the objective of the MasterCard Foundation Program matches well with the mission of the college to educate world’s women leaders.

Wellesley will bring unique capability to this program- “We educate women to make a difference in this world.”  In this program, Wellesley will support nine African Women by means of scholarships, mentoring, counseling and other internship opportunities. The Wellesley scholars will build ethics, skills and competencies which is required for the success of global economy.  From fall 2013 the students will appear each year in groups of three students. Currently the Wellesley College administration is engaged in identifying qualified students.

President Bottomly, told that “We are thrilled to welcome the scholars to join our network of alumnae—36,000 women around the world who are devoted to the College, and who are also helpful and supportive of each other.”

The other Colleges which are in partnership with MasterCard Foundation along with Wellesley College, and the other partnership institutes are: American University of Beirut – Faculty of Health Sciences, Arizona State University, Ashesi University, Duke University, EARTH University, Michigan State University, Stanford University, and University of California – Berkeley. It also includes African Leadership Academy to develop an African-based careers network for scholars to access internships and jobs across the continent.

Vaishali Arora