4Afrika Scholarship Program FROM MICROSOFT

In recognition of International Youth Day on August 12, 2013, Microsoft introduced the 4Afrika Scholarship program, through which the company will provide mentorship, leadership and technical training, certification, university-level education and employment opportunities for promising African students. Mentorship will be provided by Microsoft employees from around the world, and employment opportunities will include internships and both part-time and full-time jobs within Microsoft as well as with the company’s more than 10,000 partners across Africa.

Through the company’s 4Afrika Initiative and YouthSpark program, Microsoft has committed to helping millions of Africans get critical skills for entrepreneurship and employability. The 4Afrika Scholarship program is one way the company intends to meet that goal, by ensuring that promising youth have access to the education, resources and skills they need to succeed, regardless of their financial situation. To help redress gender disparity in higher education in Africa, the company is actively encouraging young women to apply.

Microsoft also announced that in the coming year, it will provide 4Afrika Scholarships to 1,000 youth to pursue associate degrees in computer science and business administration with the first participating higher education institution, University of the People, an American online university dedicated to the democratization of higher education which is affiliated with the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, NYU and Yale Law School ISP.

Together with participating education institutions, Microsoft’s goal with the 4Afrika Scholarship program is to level the playing field for talented young African minds who might not otherwise have the resources, enabling them to get the education and skills they need to thrive in technology-related fields. The 4Afrika Initiative was designed to help ensure that Africa can become globally competitive, and investing in our highly motivated youth is a critical step toward making that a reality.

Students wishing to apply for 4Afrika Scholarships to attend University of the People must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma and proficient English, as all its coursework is English-language. They must also have access to the Internet to be able to participate in the online classes. To help address the connectivity issue, the company is making available working space in its Microsoft Innovation Centers in Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda and Botswana for successful applicants near those locations. In addition, Microsoft is working with various partner hubs across Africa to make similar arrangements for students in other locations.

Applications for 4Afrika Scholarships to University of the People can be submitted on the following site: www.uopeople.org/4afrika.

4Afrika Scholarship Program Q&A

• - What is the 4Afrika Scholarship program
• - Why are university scholarships an important part of the 4Afrika Initiative?
• - Why are you “actively encouraging” women to apply?
• - Does that mean men will have fewer opportunities in this program?
• - Are there other institutions participating, besides UoPeople?
• - How will the mentorship work?
• - What kind training and certification will be offered?
• - How will the employment opportunities work?
• - What are the pre-requisites for admission to the UoPeople and 4Afrika Scholarship program?
• - Can non-native English speakers apply?
• - University of the People is tuition-free. What is the “scholarship” actually covering in this case?
• - Why did Microsoft select University of the People for these scholarships?
• - Is University of the People an accredited university?
• - How long will it take for the grantees to get a UoPeople degree?
• - What kinds of degrees are available?
• - Where do people go to apply?

THIER VISION FOR YOUTHS IN AFRICA

With 75% of its + 1.1 billion population under the age of 25, Africa is the youngest and one of the fastest growing regions in world. This dynamic youth population of more than 750 million must be educated with relevant skills, given access to affordable devices and services and enabled to create innovative solutions that address Africa’s opportunities and its challenges to enable the continent and its businesses to compete globally.

Microsoft has a long-standing commitment to youth through its global YouthSpark program and many other efforts. The world stands at a crossroads. While there are more young people on the planet than ever before, youth unemployment is double that of the adult population. Countries are struggling to develop modern workforces due to the growing gap between the skills of unemployed workers and the skills needed to perform the jobs of today and tomorrow. This certainly applies to Africa.

Africa's youth face an opportunity divide – a gap between those who have the access, skills and opportunities to be successful and those who do not. Closing this opportunity divide is one of the most important actions we can all take to secure the future of our youth and the future of Africa’s standing in the global economy.

Through our 4Afrika Initiative, we made 3 big commitments all aimed to close this opportunity divide and secure the future of Africa’s youth. They are:

• Deliver tens of millions of smart devices into the hands of young Africans.
• Help 1 million African SMEs get online to improve their competitiveness.
• Train hundreds of thousands of Africans with skills for entrepreneurship and employability.

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