Limkokwing University awarded 20 scholarships worth 2.8 million Pula for students living with disabilities to the Presidential Charitable Trust on 4 June 2017 in Gaborone.
The scholarships cover 100% tuition fee waiver for any of the University’s programmes for the 2017/2018 academic year.
In 2010, Limkokwing awarded 10 scholarships worth 585,000 Pula to people living with disabilities, who all have successfully graduated with credentials that enabled them to design in-demand careers and improve their livelihoods.
The latest grant makes a total of 30 Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Paduka Dr. Lim Kok Wing scholarships for students with disabilities adding up to 3.465 million Pula.
When explaining the importance of Limkokwing’s Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives, Head of Public Relations Mercy Rebaone Thebe stated that the University has a strong commitment to widening access to tertiary education in general, and to special needs of Orphans & Vulnerable Children (OVC) students in particular, as it is an indelible part of the University’s academic DNA.
“It was also worth noting that the University is the largest provider of tertiary education for special needs students in Botswana with 56 students with disabilities currently on campus, and around 30/35 of such students being admitted annually. Limkokwing Botswana is pushing the education transformation envelope, and is leading the way as the Innovation and Creativity Hub of Africa.”
“Of the current group of special needs students, 15 are from Namibia sponsored by the Namibian Student Sponsorship Board (NASFAF). In a similar vein, over 500 Orphans & Vulnerable Children undertake various programmes at the University,” Thebe concluded.
Limkokwing’s Director of Academic Management Ms. Onalenna Phambuka mentioned that as a globally recognised University, Limkokwing prides itself in contributing towards economic endeavours that uplift communities, engage the youth, and drive the use of new technologies by answering the call to new markets.
Upon receiving the scholarships, the Coordinator for People Living with Disability in the Office of the President Mr. Thomas Motingwa extended immense gratitude to the Founder and President of Limkokwing University Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Paduka Dr. Lim Kok Wing for the noble gesture, stating that the scholarships will go a long way towards assisting the Government with changing the lives of people living with disabilities.
He commended the University for continuing to play a major role in empowering people living with disabilities with quality education, which in turn ensures that their rights are protected, and they are uplifted from poverty.
“The scholarships will play a major role in promoting the beneficiaries’ quality of life by uplifting their dignity, morale, spirit of life, and changing their overall livelihoods,” added Mr. Motingwa.
Limkokwing University continuously fosters efforts to developing Botswana’s creative human capital by instilling in youth 21st century skills that are crucial in transforming the country’s industries to highly competitive markets.