D Inner Gala to Celebrate the Inauguration of the Board of Trustees for Makerere University

DINNER GALA TO CELEBRATE THE INAUGURATION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR MAKERERE UNIVERSITY FEMALE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (FSF): SATURDAY 3RD DECEMBER 2011, MAKERERE UNIVERSITY MAIN HALL FROM 6.00PM TO 9.00 PM.

Another highlight of the weekend is a dinnergala to celebrate the inauguration of the Board of Trustees for Makerere University Female Scholarship Foundation (FSF)which will take place on Saturday 3rd December 2011, Makerere University Main Hall from 6.00pm to 9.00 pm. FSF is a sustainable effort of the Makerere University Female Scholarship Initiative (FSI) that was supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) with US $ 4 million to enable 691 needy girls access higher education from 2000 to 2010. As a success story with a completion rate of 92%, FSI transformed the lives of the beneficiaries, their families and has greatly contributed to the development of Uganda.

That evening, the Inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Makerere University Female Scholarship Foundation (FSF) comprised of thefollowing eminent persons will take place: Dr. William S. Kalema (Chairperson of FSF and Country Manager and Director of BDO East Africa in Uganda); Dr Thelma Awori (Honorary Consul General of Liberia in Uganda); Dr. Alex Coutinho (Executive Director of the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda); Prof. Catherine Odora Hoppers (South African Research Chair in Development Education); Mrs. Diana L. Ofwona (Advisor to the UNDP Regional Directorate for Africa on Gender and Inclusive Development); Mr. Charles Mbire (Ugandan businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist) ; Mr. Ali Mufuruki (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Infotech Investment Group LTD of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania); Dr Katherine Namuddu (She led the Rockefeller Foundation's program on Female Participation in African Education and is currently Vice Chairperson, Makerere University Council); Professor Ruth Mukama (Professor of linguistics at Makerere University); Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba (Vice Chancellor, Makerere University); Mr. Alfred Namoah (Academic Registrar, Makerere University); Ms Catherine Kanabahita (Director, Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, Makerere University)

The need for scholarships to access higher education is still pertinent, having supported only 8% of the 9,028 eligible applicants. Government sponsorships are science biased and in 2009, 61% males and 39% females received the government scholarships. The majority of the students at Makerere University, about 80% of the 37,000 are on private sponsorship, paying an average total of 16,480,500 Uganda Shilling for four years (4,120,000/- per year). This is far out of the reach for an average Ugandan family, thereby making University education a preserve of a minority of the population.

In order to sustain the achievements of FSI, Makerere University launched FSF in November 2010 and as a sign of commitment and ownership of FSF, Makerere University offered 20 scholarships every year. In recognition of the FSI success story and in appreciation of Makerere’s sustainability efforts towards the worthy cause, CCNY has further offered a matching grant of US $ 1 million to Makerere University from 2011 to 2014. This means that for every one dollar raised by Makerere University, Carnegie Corporation will match it by three dollars to a total of US $ 1 million.

We shall acknowledge and celebrate those outstanding private sector corporations with high sense of corporate social responsibility, leading entrepreneurs and business leaders, individuals, Governments, and development partnerswho will have contributed financially, materially and morally to the Makerere University Female Scholarship Foundation since its launch on November 20th 2010. You will be happy to know that honored guests at the cultural dinner gala will include leading East African private sector/business leaders and captains of industry, Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to Uganda/East Africa, representatives of development partners, top government, political and judiciary leaders, and representative FSF Scholarship beneficiaries. There will be a total of 250 guests at the dinner and Makerere University will make an appeal to partners to address the matching grant challenge; persons of good will and institutions committed to social responsibility to support bright but disadvantaged girls to access university education.The Guest of Honour at the dinner is Rt. Hon Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of Parliament. Hon Prof. Peter Anyang Nyongo will give a keynote address.

THE DINNER IS EXCLUSIVELY BY INVITATION