This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
Equity Bank's Equity Leaders Program (ELP) has reached a significant milestone, with 56 scholars admitted to top global universities this year. This brings the total number of ELP scholars studying or who are alumni of top global universities to 519, sponsored at a cumulative value of USD 120M (Sh. 12 billion).
Of the 56 admissions, 17 are alumni of the Wings to Fly program who scored Grade A, while the rest were the top students in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams in their respective sub-counties who are annually enrolled into the Equity Leadership Program.
The 2019 cohort will be joining universities in the United States, Russia, South Korea, South Africa, Rwanda, Hungary, Canada, and Slovakia. They will be joining diverse top-tier universities, including Harvard (3), Cornell (1), Princeton (2), University of Pennsylvania (2), Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT (2), Amherst (1), and John Hopkins (1).
Speaking during the send-off ceremony in Nairobi, Equity Group CEO and Executive Chairman of Equity Group Foundation, Dr. James Mwangi, advised the scholars to focus on academics, leadership training, networking, and global transformational exposure and excel in their respective specialties.
Dr. Mwangi encouraged the scholars to overcome challenges like language barriers and cultural differences, and to embrace the new environment with courage and open-mindedness. He added that the objective of the program is to develop a generation of servant leaders who will think globally, fight poverty, and improve living standards.
Some of the scholars expressed their gratitude for what the program has been able to do for them. Apart from admission into prestigious universities, the students each received a stipend of between Kshs 100,000 – 200,000 to cater for air tickets and shopping.
Started in 1998, ELP admits the top-performing boy and girl in the KCSE exams from each sub-county in Kenya and Wings to Fly scholars who score “A” in the national exams. The program aims at empowering young academically gifted scholars by supporting their access to education in public universities in Kenya and around the globe, as well as equipping them with leadership skills.
