EQUITY Bank Uganda Unveils the Equity Leaders Program by admitting Top Scholars

 The 123 top performing scholars were selected based on the 2021 Senior 6 Uganda Advanced Certificate
of Education (UACE) results released by the Uganda National Examination Board and are from the 43 Districts where the Bank has a branch presence
 The launch of the Equity Leaders Program (ELP), a mentorship and leadership development program, plays a significant role in extending Equity Bank Uganda’s social impact contribution.

Equity Bank Uganda has officially launched the Equity Leaders Program (ELP) by admitting its first cohort of 123 top performing scholars from the 43 Districts where the Bank has a branch presence.

The launch of the Equity Leaders Program, a mentorship and leadership development program, plays a significant role in extending Equity Bank Uganda’s social impact contribution through the scaling up of various programs that are already under implementation through Equity Group Foundation (EGF), the Group’s social impact engine.

The scholars who were selected based on the 2021 Senior 6 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results released by the Uganda National Examination Board have just concluded a one-week induction process and will now proceed to join Equity Bank for a 3-6 months paid internship program where each scholar will get a monthly stipend and will experience on-the-job training and mentorship within various departments.

Speaking during the launch of the program, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development,
Hon. Betty Amongi said, “As Government, we are excited to see that a local corporate brand has ventured into empowering the youth by giving them an opportunity to experience the corporate world and rub shoulders with top-class executives who will not only positively influence them into leadership roles but who have also dedicated a significant amount of their time to train and guide them. This is a significant day for us as a country because it is a mirror reflection that our youth will play a primary role in inspiring a future leadership that is keen on excellence and also giving back to the community.”

The Equity Leaders Program has been designed uniquely and will also offer the scholars an opportunity to apply for admission and full financial aid at global universities through admission into the College Counselling Program.A program that runs for 3 months and is aimed at exposing them to the global universities’ admission process and how to adapt to a new education system. This will allow them to join other scholars in top institutions such as Harvard, Stanford and Yale among others across various continents in the world.

Also speaking at the launch,Equity Bank Uganda Managing Director Samuel Kirubi said, “Standing here brings me great joy because many years ago in 1998, I was in the same position as our 123 scholars seated with us today. What started out as a simple mentorship and leadership program has contributed significantly to my success today and to who I am. Equity Bank is excited to continue impacting lives and livelihoods by empowering the top performing boy and girl from every District by giving them an opportunity to discover their potential.”

Further adding Mr. Kirubi said, “These scholars will get exposure to the corporate world even before joining university to pursue their higher education and dream careers. By taking part in the Paid Internship Program, they get exposure at a young age and they will learn multiple life skills including personal branding and presentation, saving and investment and how to navigate the corporate world.

The stipend they earn will also play a significant role in uplifting their economic status and that of their families and to us, this is why ELP is impactful.”

About 700 ELP scholars have been admitted to leading global universities such as MIT,Yale,Columbia among others and have secured employment and senior roles in top multinational and global companies including Vice President at Bain Capital, Director of Government Affairs at Astra Zeneca, Senior Consultant at Boston Consulting Group, Software Engineer at Bloomberg with a large number taking senior leadership positions within the region and the continent.

Commenting on the launch, Equity Group Managing Director and CEO and Equity Group Foundation Executive Chairman Dr. James Mwangi said, “Equity Group has recognized the importance of investing in human capital. Through ELP, we have mentored close to 7,000 young scholars in Kenya and have nurtured them through paid internship work experience, coaching and mentorship while supporting their transition to the best local and global universities as we prepare them to enter the world of work.”
“With today’s launch, ELP now becomes operational in four of Equity Group’s subsidiaries including
Kenya, Rwanda and DRC making it a regional program that will play an important role in integrating the East African region through the sharing of ideas and resources, building a network of young professionals and creating an alumni network of young and budding innovators who are likely to solve the region’s socio-economic challenges.” Further added Dr. Mwangi.

About the Equity Leaders Program

The Equity Leaders Program was founded in 1998 and has scaled up over time to benefit 17,140 scholars in both Kenya and Uganda. The paid internship component of the Equity Leaders Program admits the top performing boy and girl in the secondary level final exams from each District in Uganda where Equity Bank has a branch.The program aims at empowering young academically gifted scholars by supporting their access to education in public universities in Kenya and around the globe, as well as equipping them with leadership skills.

The paid internship runs for the 3-6 months between secondary school completion and the beginning of university. In Kenya, 6,713 scholars have benefitted from internships at Equity Bank prior to joining local or global universities. Of these, 688 scholars have secured admissions and scholarships in top global universities

The leadership development model seeks to develop scholars in four program areas:

1. Personal and Professional Developmentto enable scholars to identify their unique talents and strengths and to match their individual interests with meaningful career opportunities.
2. Global exposureto encourage scholars to expand their horizons and become world class-leaders who can compete and succeed in a global marketplace.
3. Creativity and Innovationto empower scholars to think creatively about providing solutions to the challenges and opportunities facing communities around the world.
4. Community Engagementto inspire scholars to use their abilities for good and to make a positive impact on society.

While developing individual scholars in these thematic areas, the program also endeavours to create a strong network of scholars working together across disciplines and sectors to transform their communities, their country, and the world at large. This leadership development model is delivered through the following initiatives:

• The Internship Program which allows scholars at local universities to return for internships with Equity Group and its partners during university holidays to get professional experience while saving for their university education.The program runs for the 3-6 months between secondary school completion and the beginning of university.
• The Global Summer Internship Program which allows scholars studying at international universities to return to Africa for their summer holidays and intern with Equity Group and its partners, giving them work experience and building their professional networks on the continent.
• The College Counselling Program which supports Equity scholars to access admission and scholarships to some of the world’s leading universities, including the Ivy League universities in the US.
• The Annual Leadership Congress which allows scholars to connect with each other to form a strong community, learn about leadership and employability skills, and interact with successful leaders from various industries
• The Innovators Program which trains and develops scholars in innovation and entrepreneurship skills, allowing them to write business plans and pitch their ideas for seed funding.
• The Centers of Excellence Program where scholars provide residential mentorship to various secondary schools
• The University Chapters at campuses in Kenya and abroad that serve as platforms for interaction, networking, and activities for the scholars during their university session.
• The Wings to Fly Mentorship Program which enables scholars to visit Wings to Fly high school scholarship recipients at their respective high schools to provide mentorship and academic coaching.