Actor David Oyelowo has teamed with the
LA-based nonprofit organization, GEANCO to create the David Oyelowo
Leadership Scholarship for Girls which aims to ensure that young
Nigerian girls have the necessary tools to excel in society, eurweb.com reports.
The scholarship will specifically support female victims of terror attacks and gender-based inequality.
Oyelowo told The Huffington Post that his scholarship was inspired by Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
“For me, being of Nigerian descent
myself, being a father to a daughter, I just feel so drawn to this
particular group of girls in Nigeria who have been disenfranchised, who
have been attacked, and having their very basic rights stolen from
them,” Oyelowo said. “And so, forming this partnership to start this
scholarship that is going to have actual direct impact to girls who have
been displaced through these acts of terror, is something that was kind
of a no brainer for me, because I’ve been looking for places to be
effective rather than just be angry about some of the injustices that I
see in the world.”
The scholarship has been funded by: The
Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Participant Media and NFL Hall of Fame
quarterback Warren Moon.
Three recipients will be awarded this
year with a full scholarship for the 2016-2017 school year at the
Anglican Girls Grammar School in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.
“My dream eventually is to have this
scholarship be regarded in the same way that the Rhodes Scholarship is,”
Afam Onyema, GEANCO co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, told
HuffPost. “I want these girls to become the president of Nigeria, and I
want their bio to be, ‘and she was a David Oyelowo Leadership scholar.’”
“I want to instill that sense of dignity
into these girls and say, ‘whatever you wanna do we’re gonna help
empower you to do it. And we’re gonna walk with you for as long as we
possibly can to help you live the life that you deserve to live,’”
Onyema added.
Oyelowo is also committed to addressing human trafficking and gender inequality.
“I have a daughter and I want the world
that she goes on to grow up in to be a leveled playing field,” he said.
“And so, those are the issues that are close to me and hopefully I’ll
have the opportunity to do my part.”
For more information on David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship for Girls head here.
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