{"id":55082,"date":"2025-07-31T21:41:41","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T21:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/over-1-200-students-empowered-through-fawe-mastercard-scholarship-programme\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T21:16:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T21:16:15","slug":"over-1-200-students-empowered-through-fawe-mastercard-scholarship-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/over-1-200-students-empowered-through-fawe-mastercard-scholarship-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 1,200 students empowered through FAWE, Mastercard scholarship programme"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>FAWE is a pan-African organisation established in 1992, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It operates in 33 African countries with 34 national chapters, working to promote girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s education as a foundation for sustainable development.<\/p>\n<p>In its fifth cohort of university graduates, FAWE Rwanda, together with the Mastercard Foundation, on Wednesday, celebrated the academic achievements of 117 young women who recently completed their undergraduate studies. The initiative, also supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), covered the girls\u2019 school fees and related expenses from Senior Four through to university graduation.<\/p>\n<p>The graduates completed their degrees at the University of Rwanda and INES Ruhengeri, officially finishing their studies at the end of 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The students expressed gratitude for the support they received, saying it not only helped them academically but also built their confidence and broadened their career prospects.<\/p>\n<p>Athanasie Bugenimana, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in Nursing from the University of Rwanda and had been supported by FAWE since 2015, said the assistance went far beyond tuition and school supplies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFAWE provided more than just financial support\u2014they gave us training and life skills that will help us succeed in the job market. We were equipped with everything we needed, and now it\u2019s our turn to show what empowered girls can do and to help others in return,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Abineza Benigne, a Communications graduate from the University of Rwanda, described the FAWE scholarship as life-changing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m deeply grateful to FAWE. When I was told they would cover all the costs for my education, it felt like a miracle. I came from a family that couldn\u2019t afford those expenses, and I used to worry about how I would continue my studies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter graduating, I landed a job in my field. I now work at Africa Improved Foods, a company fighting malnutrition by producing nutritious flours and other food products.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director of FAWE Africa, thanked the Government of Rwanda for creating opportunities for girls and urged the graduates to become change-makers and role models.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of this was made possible through collaboration. We\u2019re grateful to our partners and the Government of Rwanda for their support in advancing girls\u2019 education,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTogether, we\u2019re building the capacity of talented young women who are ready to lead and inspire others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eng. Pascal Gatabazi, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Education, noted that FAWE\u2019s work has a far-reaching impact.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFAWE\u2019s efforts have long-term effects. Educating a girl does more than provide her with knowledge\u2014it transforms entire communities, because girls and women play a central role in shaping families and society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>FAWE began its operations in Rwanda in 1997 and launched its scholarship programme in 2013 through its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91826 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_new.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director of FAWE Africa, thanked the Government of Rwanda for creating opportunities for girls and urged the graduates to become change-makers and role models.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91825 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_2.jpg\" alt=\"Eng. Pascal Gatabazi, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Education, noted that FAWE\u2019s work has a far-reaching impact.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91824 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_3.jpg\" alt=\"The Ministry of Education received an award for its role in promoting girls\u2019 education.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91823 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_4.jpg\" alt=\"Mastercard Foundation received an award as an outstanding partner.    \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91822 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_5.jpg\" alt=\"The graduates completed their studies at the University of Rwanda (UR) and INES Ruhengeri, receiving their degrees at the end of 2024.          \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91821 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_6.jpg\" alt=\"In its fifth cohort of university graduates, FAWE Rwanda, together with the Mastercard Foundation, on Wednesday, celebrated the academic achievements of 117 young women who recently completed their undergraduate studies. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91820 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_7.jpg\" alt=\"The students supported by FAWE graduated from five different departments.         \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91818 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_10.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91817 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/fawe_9.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Rwanda, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has supported over 1,200 female students from low-income families through full scholarships that cover all their educational needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000091828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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