Irish Embassy in Sierra Leone launches scholarship programme

As part of commitment to promote and upgrade the educational background of staff of its working partners in Sierra Leone, the Embassy of Ireland and Irish Aid on Tuesday, launched the Irish Aid Training Fellowship programme on scholarships for Sierra Leonean students at the Embassy’s compound off Spur Road.
The programme was attended by representatives of the implementing partners of both the Embassy and Irish Aid.
According to the Head of Mission at the Irish Embassy, Sinead Walsh, they are pleased and happy to launch the scholarship programme in the country as a way of empowering Sierra Leoneans who intend to further their education at Masters Level in Ireland. He stressed that Sierra Leone will be among the countries that are benefiting from this fellowship, and that Sierra Leone is the latest to join the race to total the number to nine beneficiaries.
She said that the programme is basically developed to empower their partners who are the eligible candidates for the scholarship, as it does not open to the general public and the eligible partners include the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Forestry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment, Human Rights Commission in Sierra Leone, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Helen Keller International, Action Contre La Faim, International Rescue Committee, World Food Programme, Save the Children and Welthungerhilfe.
Sinead Walsh disclosed that the selection process is open to men and women, as they are aware about the gender issue in the country, so only eligible candidates will be shortlisted, adding that as Sierra Leone is only joining the fellowship now, she will ensure that the students who will be fortunate to go for the fellowship will return to work in Sierra Leone after the programme, as she encouraged their partners to treat the programme with seriousness, so the country will take the majority when shortlisted, as for this year’s fellowship they will give out 40-45 scholarships to the nine countries globally.
In giving out the criteria of the scholarship programme, Madam Davida Macauley, said that candidates must have worked for one of their partners for at least one year and nominated candidates must be a citizen and resident of Sierra Leone who should be appointed by their offices, explaining that candidates must not have a masters degree to be eligible but must have adequate qualification to be accepted into the masters or diploma programme.
Madam Macauley disclosed that those selected for award are normally mid-career professionals and the average age for successful candidates is 35 years with three years relevant employment experience, who should be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to the development of their home country as their employers must also guarantee their employment after the fellowship, maintaining that the closing date for receipt of all fellowship application for the year 201402015 academic is November 30th 2013
Thursday October 31,2013