Efforts are under way by the new leadership of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to launch the Solomon Mahlangu State Scholarship. The Scholarship Fund is part of the grand plan of the NYDA to drive Education and Skills Development as its core business for the next three years.
According to the NYDA Executive Chairperson, Yershen Pillay, “Through the Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship Fund we hope to reach those who have excelled academically but have never had the opportunity to study further. This effort is aimed at encouraging excellence in education by broadening the vehicle of scholarships to reach the masses as opposed to a select few.”
The NYDA will be allocating a significant portion of its funding to the Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship Fund to universities and universities of higher learning to access.
“We hope that institutions of higher learning will assist us to administer these scholarships for maximum reach, efficiency and accountability,” says Yershen Pillay
The Solomon Mahlangu State Scholarship Fund aims to reach 100 young people across the country in the current financial year.
“As the NYDA we encourage all matriculants to excel in their upcoming exams as not all will have the opportunity to access this fund. We would love to do more but unfortunately we only have the resources for 100 scholarships in the first year. Our plan is to lobby other state entities and departments as well as the private sector to contribute into this fund with the target of having a R1 Billion fund after three years,” says Yershen Pillay.
Article issued by the National Youth Development Agency