Lusaka, Zambia – 12th Sept, 2024, Yango Group, a global tech company that creates everyday services, announces a partnership with the Zambian National STEM Foundation to launch Yango Fellowship. Yango Fellowship will support outstanding university STEM students across Zambia with financial aid, mentorship, professional development, and networking opportunities.
According to the Zambian National STEM Foundation, Zambia faces a severe shortage of STEM professionals, with an estimated 50% of STEM jobs going unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. In Zambia, only 35% of university graduates in STEM fields are women, despite girls making up nearly half of the total student population. In addition, Zambia’s youth unemployment rate remains high at around 22%. STEM careers have been identified as critical in reducing unemployment and driving economic growth, making the Yango Fellowship a vital initiative for fostering job-ready graduates.
By encouraging youth and female applicants, The Yango Fellowship, aims to address these gaps and empower more youth and women in STEM careers and provide selected students with annual financial assistance to meet basic needs, access to guidance from experienced industry experts, and exclusive workshops designed to enhance their professional skills. Studies show that increasing STEM graduates by even 1% annually could boost Zambia’s GDP growth by 2-3%, driven by higher productivity and innovation across sectors such as agriculture, energy, and technology**.
Executive Director for the STEM Foundation, Mr. Michelo Moonga commented: “The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Zambia is projected to grow by 10-15% annually, with roles in areas such as software development, data science, and network engineering becoming increasingly in demand. However, the current workforce lacks the necessary skills to meet this demand”.
He added “ The initiative underscores Yango Group’s mission to support local communities and foster growth in critical fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), while addressing the shortage of skilled STEM professionals in Zambia. The Yango Fellowship is a crucial step in building a diverse and capable STEM workforce in Zambia. By investing in the education and development of young scholars, we are not only fostering innovation but also driving sustainable economic development. This partnership will create opportunities for students to become future leaders in science and technology”.
Country Manager for Yango in Zambia, Ms. Kabanda Chewe, emphasized the company’s commitment to the country: “We believe that education in technology is key to Africa’s future. Yango Group aims to provide support to local communities through STEM Education, Safety and constantly investing in nurturing Tech and STEM education through such partnerships.”.
She added “Yango aims to address the critical shortage of skilled STEM professionals in Africa through such partnerships and bridge the gap in technological innovation and economic development. The fellowship seeks to enable the next generation of Zambian scientists, engineers, and technologists to focus on their studies and drive national progress”.
In addition to this fellowship, Yango in collaboration with Zindi organized in November 2023, the Urban Mobility Hackathon in Lusaka. The hackathon provided an opportunity for data science enthusiasts across Zambia to work on a real-world mobility challenge that caters to specific transport and traffic solutions locally.
Candidates interested in application to Yango Fellowship program, are invited to submit their applications through the Zambian National STEM Foundation’s website by 25th September. 2024. Detailed instructions and the application form are available at http://yango.com/en_zm/fellowship. Candidates must be a Zambian citizen, between 18 to 25 years old, and enrolled in a Lusaka Based University STEM program. First-year students must have scored 6-12 points on their Grade 12 Certificate. Continuing students must have passed all courses in their previous year of study. All are encouraged to apply especially women and Yango partners’ drivers families.
About the Zambian National STEM Foundation:
Established in August 2018, the Zambian National STEM Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing STEM education and skills in Zambia. Our mission is to empower the youth with the knowledge and tools needed to contribute to national development and global competitiveness.
About Yango Group
Yango Group is a tech company that transforms global technologies into everyday services tailored for local communities. With an unwavering commitment to innovation, we reshape and enhance leading cutting-edge technologies from around the world into seamlessly integrated daily services for diverse regions. Our mission is to bridge the gap between leading world innovations and local communities, fostering connections and enhancing everyday living experiences.
For more information please contact: pr@yango.com
Dr. Mah W. Asombang – Chief Operations Officer, Zambian National STEM Foundation
Phone: +260 978953948, Email: mah@stemzambia.org Website: Stemzambia.org/fellowship
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