Women who take a career break, often for family reasons, face challenges when they try to return to their chosen career path. This problem is particularly acute in low-income countries where there is little or no targeted assistance for women who want to resume their careers after a prolonged break. The lack of support contributes to the underrepresentation of women at the top levels of their professions. Even for men, taking a break after undergraduate studies may make it harder to access postgraduate opportunities.
To address this issue, the Zeribe Nwosu Foundation (ZNF) has initiated a scholarship program for women who have experienced career breaks and seek to undertake online learning as part of their efforts to return to their career path. This scholarship, now in its second year, is specifically aimed at encouraging interested individuals to take advantage of online learning.
The ZNF Online Learning Scholarship provides N75,000 each to at least three awardees. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be Nigerian females and residents of Nigeria, graduates of any Nigerian higher institution, and have experienced a career break of one year or more (applicants must clearly explain this in their statement of need). They must also already have a laptop, tablet, or good mobile device for their studies.
Applicants are required to submit a one-page personal statement describing their education, work experience, motivation, and future career goals. They must also provide a CV (not more than three pages), a statement of need (max one page), a list of prospective online courses/training to be pursued (including the website link(s)), a letter of recommendation from a lecturer in their former undergraduate or MSc department or senior staff from a former/current place of work/NYSC (whichever is applicable – only one letter is required), and unofficial transcripts from undergraduate or a scanned copy of their undergraduate certificate/diploma as proof of study completion.
The application period for the ZNF Online Learning Scholarship opens on January 1 and closes on March 1, 2024. Applicants will be informed about the review decision and interview invitation (where applicable) by May 15. Interviews will take place from June 1-20, and the successful candidates will be announced on August 1. If you are interested and qualified, you can apply on the Zeribe Nwosu Foundation (ZNF) website.
