By Frederick Philander Agra is actively involved in uplifting Namibian communities and its bursary scheme forms part of the overall corporate social investment plan of the company, it was announced in a press release.. The company awarded two bursaries to students studying for an educational qualification at an accredited Namibian and/or South African tertiary institution. “The Agra bursary scheme aims to provide successful candidates with financial assistance to fulfill their study obligations. It awards bursaries to students on a competitive basis who study towards a bachelor’s degree, commerce diploma or related field where Agra has identified the need for employment,” the statement said. It further said that bursary holders are employed by Agra during major university holiday breaks. “The bursary holder undertakes to enter into fulltime employment with Agra upon graduation for at least the same number of years as the student attended university or technicon under the bursary scheme. Successful bursary holders, Frederico van Wyk and Socrates Bartholomeu, are the two students who received bursaries from Agra under the Agra bursary scheme,” said Birgit Hoffmann in the release on behalf of the company. According to her, the total value of the bursaries allocated amounts to N$26 000. Frederico van Wyk is a first-year student at the University of Pretoria, studying for a B.Com degree, majoring in economics at the University of Pretoria. “The purpose of this degree is to provide the student with knowledge on the working of the economic and financial systems of a country and the influence of the global economy and financial markets thereon. The programme will equip him with the necessary theoretical and applied principles of economics and effects of the economic policy, such as fiscal policy, monetary policy and labour policy. Upon receiving his degree, Frederico will therefore be able to advise management in the private as well as public sectors,” she said. Socrates Bartholomeu completed grade 12 in 2004 at the Delta Secondary School in Windhoek. He is a third-year student at the University of Namibia, studying for a Bachelor of Accounting degree, majoring in financial management. “Apart from his studies at the university, he holds a number of portfolios being vice-president of the university’s accounting society and chairperson of the football club. He is also a tutor in mathematics,” Hoffmann concluded.