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What?

The Meheba Scholarship Fund brings educational opportunities to young refugees in Meheba who otherwise would not be able to access them. Specifically, the 2010 Meheba Scholarship Fund will

• Provide secondary school scholarships to 6 talented refugee youths
• Give scholarships to 2 promising deaf students in Meheba
• Carry out a process of community-building through ensuring that new scholars are chosen by a selection committee comprised of refugee leaders and local schoolteachers
• Ensure selected scholars progress and pass all their classes through study skills lessons and supplementary tutoring
• Advocate for the rights and opportunities of refugee students

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Why?

Among the most pressing challenges that face Meheba’s youngest residents, receiving a thorough education ranks particularly high. With a degree, graduates have the skills to advance in life to become a source of inspiration and knowledge for their community. However, the expenses and materials that secondary schooling requires leaves young refugees without the option of developing their potential. This sacrifice deprives individuals, families, and the wider community of a resource that could significantly improve conditions in Meheba Refugee Settlement.

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How?

Once funding is received, a selection committee comprised of local teachers and community leaders will review and select the eight scholarship recipients. The project’s funding will then ensure each student is properly equipped for school with books, pens, and other materials and able to regularly attend school. Each of the selected students will also be assisted as they pursue their studies by being offered exam preparation, supplementary lessons on topics such as poetry, and tutoring on developing study skills. Their academic progress will be observed to ensure that each is benefitting as much as possible from the opportunity they have been given.

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History of Meheba Refugee Settlement

Meheba Refugee Settlement opened in 1971 to host refugees who fled Angola during the Angolan Revolution. In the 1990s, Meheba began receiving refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi. Meheba was projected to close down after thousands of Angolan refugees voluntarily repatriated, but in 1998, the Angolan war restarted. Although nearly 64,000 Angolan refugees have been successfully repatriated, efforts to repatriate Rwandan refugees have proven unsuccessful.

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Climate

Meheba is located in the temperate grasslands of northwestern Zambia. The dry season generally runs from May to November, and the rainy season lasts from December to April.

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Challenges facing Meheba Refugee Settlement

In Meheba Refugee Settlement, education levels vary greatly. Most refugees living in Meheba have received some primary education, but very few can afford the high cost of secondary school. Classes are conducted in English, and schools are generally overcrowded and under-resourced. The Zambian Ministry of Education runs five elementary schools and one high school in Meheba. Many smaller communities within Meheba are too far from government-run primary schools for children to attend classes there. As a result, many children in Meheba do not attend school at all. Some organizations offer vocational and trade classes to teach practical skills.

Although Meheba Secondary School is located in Meheba Refugee Settlement, not all of the students at the school are refugees. Because of this, there is often discrimination towards the refugee students from all levels of those involved in the school. This can make it difficult for refugee students to acquire admission, make good grades, and form lasting relationships there.

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Main Occupations

The few employment opportunities in Meheeba are limited to farming, small businesses, and limited agency jobs. Men are more widely employed than women and usually receive more schooling. Most women are married with children by their late teens.

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