Higherlife Foundation (HLF) has, with immediate effect,
launched a $100 million medical training completion fellowship for at least 2
000 junior and senior doctors gainfully employed at public teaching hospitals
within the country.
The scholarship covers those who are formerly undergoing a
junior or senior resident programme, with special preference being given to
beneficiaries of the Capernaum and Joshua Nkomo scholarships.
HigherLife Foundation is an initiative of the Masiyiwa Family
Foundation and support for the initiative will come from the family and its
donor partners.
In a statement yesterday, HLF said the $100 million
fellowship will last for six months, with funding contingent upon fellows
remaining enrolled in their programmes for that period and satisfying the
stipulated requirements.
“The $100 million fellowship comprises a non-negotiable
monthly subsistence allowance of $5 000 (five thousand Zimbabwean dollars) per
doctor for a maximum of 2 000 doctors,” said HLF chief executive Dr Kennedy
Mubaiwa.
“This amount will be disbursed monthly and is subject to
unilateral review by HLF. The monthly subsistence will be disbursed to
qualifying junior and senior resident officers on proof of being on duty at the
specified institution for the duration of the month.”
HLF will also provide a smartphone as a tool of trade, VAYA
carpool voucher to access the hospital, at a maximum of three trips per day.
About $10 million of the fund will be set aside for tools
of trade including stethoscopes, patella hammers, uniforms and other diagnostic
aids.
Higherlife Foundation will also undertake to provide WI-FI
at the major teaching hospitals in Zimbabwe.
“This fellowship opportunity has been shared with Joshua
Nkomo, Capernaum, junior and senior resident officer representatives and the
Ministry of Health leadership,” said Dr Mubaiwa.
Members of the Zimbabwe corporate and donor community
interested in supporting the initiative, said Dr Mubaiwa, were welcome to
approach HLF with a view to help.
Dr Mubaiwa, however, stressed that the initiative was not
from Econet Wireless Zimbabwe or Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe as neither of these
publicly listed companies’ management or boards were even consulted on the
matter.
“Also, for the avoidance of doubt, this initiative was not
developed in consultation with the target beneficiaries or their employer. It
is an independent initiative of HLF, as are all our initiatives and
programmes,” he said.
This initiative is building on a 23-year commitment to
education, HLF started in 1996.
The foundation has supported the education of over 250 000
students across Zimbabwe, Burundi, and Lesotho through its flagship education
initiatives — the Capernaum and Joshua Nkomo scholarship programmes.
The Capernaum Scholarship has been running for the last 23
years and provides tuition to orphaned and vulnerable children from early
childhood to tertiary education.
The Joshua Nkomo Scholarship (JNS) was established in 2006
and awards scholarships to highly talented Zimbabwean students through a
rigorous selection process, creating opportunities for them to study at local
and overseas learning in stitutions.
Dr Mubaiwa said through these scholarships, HLF had seen many
young women and men graduating as medical doctors who have provided healthcare
services “to our nation”.
He said for our healthcaree system to continue having this
continuous inflow of doctors, it was important for junior and senior resident
officers to complete their training within the designated time period. Herald
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