Kampala: TECHz Magazine – News Desk
The Airtel Africa Foundation has unveiled 20 Ugandan undergraduate students as the inaugural recipients of its fully funded Tech Fellowship. Valued at approximately UGX 3.85 billion (over $1 million) over four years, the initiative covers tuition, accommodation, academic materials, and a stipend for bright students from financially constrained households pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The program specifically targets fields essential to the digital economy, including Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity.
To ensure the fellows are adequately equipped for modern digital learning, the Airtel Africa Foundation partnered with communications agency Brainchild Burson to provide the scholars with hi-tech laptops. Brainchild Burson contributed Shs 10 million to the initiative, which also covers additional scholastic support and potential internship opportunities. The beneficiaries will complete their studies at five leading Ugandan institutions: Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda Christian University (UCU), Kyambogo University, and ISBAT University.
Airtel Uganda Managing Director and CEO, Soumendra Sahu, emphasized that the fellowship is designed to eliminate financial barriers for promising youth. “Our mission is to create a tangible and lasting impact by ensuring that no bright mind is left behind due to financial limitations,” Sahu noted. “These scholars are on a path to contribute meaningfully to Uganda and Africa’s growing digital economy”.
The Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship aligns directly with the Foundation’s FEED pillars (Financial inclusion, Education, Environmental protection, and Digital inclusion). The initiative also supports the Ugandan government’s broader Digital Vision 2040 by cultivating a pipeline of digital talent capable of driving local technological advancement.
For the students, the fellowship represents a critical turning point. Edgar Baluku, a Computer Science student at Uganda Christian University, shared how the scholarship rescued his educational aspirations: “I have been struggling, like many students, to get school fees for my education. This scholarship gives me the chance to pursue my dreams and make my parents and the entire clan proud”. Michael Kirinnya, a student at MUST, highlighted the practical impact of the recent tech handover: “I am particularly excited about the hi-tech laptop, which will allow me to code faster. I have upgraded from a Pentium 4 with only two cores to a powerful machine with 10 cores and an Intel i7 processor”.
