By: Saidu Jalloh
The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education has distributed cheques worth $1,800 in the Sierra Leone currency to nine Sierra Leonean students on scholarship in Venezuela each. This was done in response to the issues that the students have been facing with their stipend.
Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, shared that there are a total of ten students studying in Venezuela, but only nine of them had their documentation completed, which is why only nine students received their funds. She acknowledged that there are always competing priorities when it comes to accessing funds, and it is not always possible to have the funds readily available.
Dr. Wurie also mentioned the financial management systems that they have to adhere to, especially for students in Venezuela and Cuba. She disclosed that both countries have been sanctioned by the US Government, making it impossible for the Government of Sierra Leone to directly transmit funds to the students.
The funds have to be redirected back to Sierra Leone and a parent or guardian has to collect the funds on behalf of the students and remit it through other means. This process, according to her, causes an added delay in disbursing funds to Venezuela and Cuba.
Dr. Wurie emphasized that despite these challenges, the Sierra Leonean Government remains committed to providing financial assistance to eligible students who are currently studying in countries that have a bilateral relationship with Sierra Leone. She expressed the Government’s commitment to supporting the students financially by providing them a fixed amount of money while they are studying, as long as they meet certain criteria and make progress every year.
According to George A. Dambo, the Student Secretary of MTHE, the Government of Sierra Leone is fully committed to providing financial support to students. He further explained that due to the imposed sanction, the Government is now directly paying the allowances of Sierra Leonean students studying in Venezuela. He noted that in the past, the Government used to send funds to the Sierra Leonean Embassy in Washington for them to make the payments.
However, now the Government is writing checks in the names of parents or guardians, and they will find alternative ways to transfer the funds to their children. This, he said, shows the dedication and concern of the Government towards the education and well-being of students.
Saffa Lawrence Sandy, MTHE’s Senior Internal Auditor, emphasized the importance of the criteria they requested for, including student ID cards, passports, and visa status. During their verification process, they discovered that many students’ visas had expired, which was a cause for concern.
He said that one student had also failed to submit his progress report on time. Sandy stressed the significance of progress reports, as they are crucial in ensuring that students on government scholarships are making satisfactory progress.
