Amala to expand educational programmes in Kakuma Camp, Kenya thanks to collaboration with UWC and Rise

We are delighted to announce that Amala is expanding our educational programmes to refugee students in Kakuma Camp, Kenya, thanks to a collaboration with United World Colleges (UWC) and their new partnership with Rise to support refugee education and scholarship opportunities. As part of this new global partnership, Amala will work alongside the global education movement, UWC, to deliver a foundational education programme in Kakuma for 60 refugee students over three years, starting in 2021. 

Rise is a global talent program to find outstanding young people who need opportunity, and support them for life as they use their talents to build a better world. Rise was launched by the Rhodes Trust and Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative co-founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy Schmidt.  

The UWC Amala Changemaker Foundation Programme is part of a wider partnership between UWC and Rise, whereby 15 students (five per year from 2021) from refugee backgrounds will be eligible to receive all-inclusive scholarships to study the International Baccalaureate Diploma as a residential student at one of UWC’s 18 schools. Students who participate in the UWC Amala Foundation Programme will be eligible to apply for these opportunities. 

“We are living in a time of both significant global challenges and unique global opportunities,” said Eric Schmidt, Co-founder of Schmidt Futures. “With the launch of Rise, we hope to identify and empower the next generation of brilliant leaders around the world in a way that has never been done before. We’ll harness the power of technology to find talented young people who would otherwise go undiscovered or unsupported, connect them in a global community, and give them the resources to use their talents for good throughout their lives.”

This new programme builds on the work we’ve been doing in the Kakuma camp over the past three years,” said Polly Akhurst, Co-founder of Amala. “Our work in Kakuma camp has taught us that education brings the rejuvenation of hope for young people who have been displaced. This programme will instil hope in a generation of young people in the Kakuma camp and inspire them to bring about positive change in their communities.”

Applications for the UWC Amala Changemaker Foundation Programme are now open for 15-17 year olds living in Kakuma, Kenya. For more information and how to apply click here.