waaw foundation

Working to Advance Science and Technology Education for African Women (WAAW) is geared to support need-based African females, STEM-focused college education. It is an international non-profit founded in 2007 whose headquarters is situated in Lagos, Nigeria.

The mission of the foundation is to ensure that African girls engage in Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship to benefit their communities. African women are as well, empowered to become change-makers, impactful leaders and technology innovators through STEM Education.

It is pertinent to note that the WAAW Foundation does not fund any Master’s, MBA, or PhD programme.

WAAW Foundation STEM Scholarship for Need-Based African Female Students

This is a yearly scholarship award aimed at supporting the need-based African females with STEM in focus.

The scholarship is a one-off fund that is renewable annually based on the academic performance of the candidate.

Benefits of the Scholarship

The value of the scholarship is an amount up to $500 per academic year or its equivalence in the recipients’ individual countries. With proof of excellent academic record, recipients are eligible for reapplication.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must possess the following qualities

• Must be female students, living and studying in Africa.
• Must be enrolled in an undergraduate BSc programme at the time of applying for the scholarship.
• Must be studying STEM-related courses in an African university or college.
• Must demonstrate financial needs and a strong academic record.
• Must not be up to 32 at the time of the scholarship application.

How to Apply

The following are mandated to be included in the application:

• A thoroughly filled online application form. A paper application is no longer acceptable.
• Personal and contact information.
• Family information and educational background.
• A statement of need describing why the applicant needs the scholarship and what it will be used for, if successful.
• Essay response that addresses career goals and how the applicant expects the WAAW scholarship to assist in his/her education. Note that the essay response is expected to be ready before the application process takes place.
• Two academic references, written by a professor from the university and an academic advisor or mentor. Applicants can download the reference forms online. Transcripts and letters of recommendation are not required at this stage.

All applicants are advised to fill all the application sections before submitting, and submission must be before the deadline.

If shortlisted, successful applicants are expected to email the following to the WAAW scholarship foundation:

• Two reference letters
• A copy of the current signed and sealed transcript from the university
• A copy of the student’s school identity card.

Other Funding Opportunities by the WAAW Foundation

• STEM/ICT Teachers Training for Secondary School Teachers

One hundred secondary school teachers are to be trained by the WAAW Foundation STEM and Digital Literacy Teachers Training in Abuja, Lagos and Imo states. This is to develop and enhance the teachers’ professional skills, introduce them to relevant STEM applications that could be adapted in the classroom, and improve their individual professional activities.

• Fully-funded Coding Bootcamp: Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria

The She Hacks Africa Coding for African Youths is an opportunity you cannot afford to miss. This is a four-week intensive coding programme organized by the African Women Engineering and Leadership Entrepreneurship (AWELE). The aim is to train the youth, especially, girls into the technology workforce. African youths are taught software programming and practice what they have learned in project-based exercises whose aim is to stimulate and build technology innovators and entrepreneurs.

Courses include full-stack web development, mobile app development, Java and Oracle programming.

Deadline: The application closes one week before the commencement of each cohort.

Start here to apply to WAAW Foundation Scholarship for African Females