• The award follows the recently concluded identification and verification exercises conducted in all the 10 new implementing districts.
• The project will pay an annual education grant which will be paid directly to the household hosting the bursary beneficiary.
• Parents, guardians and stakeholders in the education sector should ensure that the selected girls are kept in school.

Ministry of General Education says ‘The Keeping Girls in School (KGS) Initiative’ is in the process of awarding secondary school bursaries to 24,118 eligible girls in 10 new implementing districts across 10 provinces of Zambia.

Ministry of General Education, Gender and Communications Specialist for Keeping Girls in School, George Sichimba said the award follows the recently concluded identification and verification exercises conducted in all the 10 new implementing districts.

“The generation of offer letters including checklists at the Ministry Headquarters has been concluded and the documents have been dispatched to respective District Education Board Secretaries (DEBS) for distribution to potential KGS beneficiaries,” he revealed.

According to Mr. Sichimba, “The distribution of offer letters and signing of checklists by potential KGS girls is expected to be done within three weeks upon receipt of the documents.”

Mr. Sichimba noted this scholarship will cover secondary school tuition fees, examination fees and boarding fees for those assigned to boarding schools for the period 2021 to 2024.

He further revealed that the project will pay an annual education grant which will be paid directly to the household hosting the bursary beneficiary.

“The education grant is meant to help households purchase other school-related requisites such as books, uniforms and school shoes for the girls to ensure that they stay and attend school regularly,” he added.

Mr. Sichimba highlighted that the 24,118 eligible girls have been identified this year (2021), in ten (10) additional districts bringing the total number of districts to 39 in which the project is being implemented across the 10 provinces of Zambia adding that the total number of beneficiaries for the year 2021 in the 39 districts is expected to reach 35,000.

Further, the Keeping girls in School Communication Specialist reveals the new districts are Serenje, Mpongwe, Katete, Kawambwa, Rufunsa, Isoka, Zambezi, Luwingu, Pemba and Shangombo.

The old districts include Petauke, Luangwa, Itezhi-tezhi, Nalolo, Lufwanyama, Mungwi, Chilubi, Samfya, Lunga, Gwembe, Chavuma, Mufumbwe, Shiwangandu, Mafinga, Lukulu and Mitete.

Others are Shibuyunji, Chisamba, Sesheke, Kalomo, Zimba, Siavonga, Kasama, Mwinilunga, Masaiti, Nyimba, Chadiza, Lusangazi and Chifunabuli.

He explained that once selected girls report to their assigned schools, Case Management, Grievance Redress Mechanism as well as the Gender and Communications Specialists will continuously give support to the girls.

Mr. Sichimba emphasized that “the three portfolios have been introduced to the KGS Project Implementation Team to ensure that cases that may lead to enrolled girls dropping out school are dealt with promptly.”

Mr. George Sichimba also said the Ministry of General Education has appealed to selected girls in the new additional districts to take advantage of the scholarship stating that parents, guardians and stakeholders in the education sector should ensure that the selected girls are kept in school.

He noted the offer of scholarship is provisional dependent on selected girls reporting to assigned schools and subsequently attending school regularly.