United States colleges and universities have provided $4.5 million worth of scholarships to 20 disadvantaged but academically gifted Zimbabwean students who were selected for the United States Achievers Programme (USAP).

The students were honored at a send-off ceremony on Friday witnessed by parents, students, teachers and representatives from business and non- governmental organizations.

Speaking at the occasion, US ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray called on Zimbabweans to prioritize rebuilding the education sector.

“Zimbabwe used to boast the highest literacy rate in Africa and indeed the strongest education system on the continent due to the cultural value Zimbabweans placed on education. Sadly, that system has suffered from the political and economic setbacks of this past decade.

“Rebuilding education needs to be one of the top priorities of this nation,” Ray said.

The 20 students were selected from over 500 applications from Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.

The USAP is an initiative of the EducationUSA Advising Centre in Zimbabwe and enrolls students every year.

It assists students to negotiate the costly college application process, covering all expenses and providing tutorials. The US colleges and universities provide the scholarships.

USAP has been replicated in 14 other countries around the world.

This year, US colleges and universities have provided 50 students from 11 countries with $15.2 million worth of scholarships.

The other 30 students are drawn from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Malawi, Mongolia, Nigeria, Serbia, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.

There are currently over 200 Zimbabwean USAP graduates on full scholarships in the US.

Source African Press Agency

African News from NetNewsPublisher.com

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