Staff Reporter
Windhoek-The Bank of Namibia last week awarded eight bursaries to undergraduate students as part of the Bank’s corporate social investment and responsibility policy initiatives. The focus of the Bank’s bursary scheme is to make a meaningful contribution to the country by developing skills and strengthening the capabilities in the fields of Economics, Accounting, Auditing, Banking, Information Technology and Education specialising in Mathematics and Science.
To date, the Bank has provided 84 undergraduate bursaries to deserving candidates who would not have otherwise been able to afford tertiary education. This excludes 22 beneficiaries who are currently studying under the bursary scheme.
Some of the successful graduates that went through this scheme are in leadership positions at the Bank while others ply their trade at other institutions, thereby making significant contribution in the development of Namibia.
This year’s beneficiaries were selected from a pool of more than 800 applicants. The successful candidates (and their chosen fields of study) are: Meriam Kakuwaezi – Actuarial Science at the University of Cape Town; Pombili Shivute – Economics at the University of Stellenbosch; Oscar Taapopi – Chartered Accounting at the University of Namibia; Faustinus Muyenga – Economics at the University of Namibia; Grace Matabele – Economics at the Namibia University of Science & Technology; Diinineni Mwatukange – Education at the University of Namibia; Munionganda Kaujeua – Economics at the University of Namibia; and Innocent Pieter – Economics at the University of Namibia.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Governor, Mr. Ebson Uanguta said: “As a central bank, we recognise that capacity building and skills development are fundamental to realising a knowledge-based economy as envisioned in our national development plans. It is for this reason that we continue to invest in a bursary scheme in highly sought areas, to support our young talented people to become knowledge workers upon graduation”.
Last year, the Bank, for the first time, awarded two bursaries for postgraduate studies to students who are not staff members of the Bank. The expanded bursary scheme of the Bank will continue this year with beneficiaries expected to be announced soon.
The Bank of Namibia says it remains committed to playing its role in building the appropriate human capacity to propel Namibia’s economy to greater heights.