Making a difference

By Vatapuia Maiava 13 January 2016, 12:00AM

Digicel Samoa continues to find new ways to help the community. 

This time, the company with the bigger and better network is offering five I.T students the chance for a better education through scholarships.

The scholarships are part of a $150,000 package for three years where the company will pay for the students’ education.

Head of Marketing for Digicel, Moli Seanoa, said Digicel believes education plays a vital role in the development of the country.

“Many students approach us asking for the chance to be sponsored,” Ms. Seanoa said. 

“They have the capability and the brains to do well yet they are limited due to financial reasons. This is why we have decided to offer these scholarships.”

The opportunity gives high achieving students a chance to study at tertiary level.

 “The scholarship includes not only the tuition fees but also a laptop, part time job, allowance and all books paid for.”

The scholarships will only be for local universities such as U.S.P and N.U.S. But this will open up the opportunity for students to study outside Samoa in the future. The main focus of the pilot programme is to give the future generation a chance to excel in the field of information and technology since the world is always moving forward and the lives of Samoans are becoming more and more reliant on new tech. 

“I.T has never been the main career choice for Samoan high school graduates,” said Ms. Seanoa. “The most desired careers are lawyers, accountants and doctors leaving the country short of engineers and I.T specialists which is what this program seeks to fix.”

Applications are already open.

The last day is 30 January 2016 and then the selection process will begin. 

The future of the programme will depend on the success of the first five students. If all goes well, Digicel will review it with the idea of continuing it.

Digicel’s C.E.O, Rory Condon, said the initiative is about developing Samoa’s brightest minds.

 “We believe the future economic success of Samoa will be reliant on attracting, developing and retaining the brightest minds here in Samoa, and we want to be at the forefront of this.”

By Vatapuia Maiava 13 January 2016, 12:00AM

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