Two Kenyans Get Visas to Study in US through ‘Airlift Program’, a Project by US-Based Kenyan-Owned Company
Two Kenyan students are set to join top US universities courtesy of the Kenya Airlift Program, an initiative by a company owned by a diaspora man.
The Airlift Program is a project by US-based, Kenyan-owned Appstec America and seeks to sponsor brilliant young Kenyans to study IT-related postgraduate degrees in some of the top universities in the US.
Appstec America was founded by Bob Mwiti, who was recognized by African Warrior Magazine in 2018 as one of the 40 most inspiring men in the diaspora in 2018.
The program is a partnership between Appstec America and Abogeta Education and Development Sacco (ABEDS), a Kenyan Sacco formed by Abogeta West MCA DMK Kiogora. Abogeta West is a ward in Meru County.
This week, the first beneficiaries of the Kenya Airlift Program; Elosy Kagwiria and Neils Karani, got their US student visas approved. Elosy will be joining the University of South Florida in January, 2020 for a Master’s degree in Business Analytics and Information Systems while Neils will join Illinois State University for a Master’s degree in Information Systems.
“We are slowly building a movement of brilliant young Kenyans here in America! Dmk Kiogora..Thank you bro for making this dream a reality! It’s God’s Doing!” Bob Mwiti said on Facebook.
More beneficiaries of the program are currently preparing for their entrance exam known as Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT).
Through the program, beneficiaries are able to get unsecured international student loans of up to $50,000 from a US-based lender, graduate assistantship scholarships and relocation expenses loans of up to $6,000 from ABEDS Sacco.
Comments (19)
Great program. This is the kind of initiative that will make africa great.Recognizing potential and nurturing it it the way forward.Keep up the good work Appstec America.
I would like to Be part you through studying since I have adiploma in purchasing and supplies.I have been admiring to pursue Degree in the same field or related
South Florida & Illinois state are not top schools.
Georgia Tech is offering these degrees online...consider exploring that. That way the kids are not swayed to stay after graduation. Few people will return to the Kenya of Today.
@Seneca, somebody need to tell them IT is taken by the Indians who take over 95% of all H1B.
Defeatist attitude!...So just because Indians are the majority in IT, we should not pursue tech careers??...Really??...They are the majority there because that is where the money is!..What stops us Africans from getting H1B like them?.
This is an amazing program and I applaud Bob for that!...Keep your defeatist attitude hukoo!!...No wonder we can’t progress!
Watch out. Are these scholarships or what. Unsecured student loans? You may be up to your ears in debt before you are done and end up broke even before you reach the starting gate.
All I am saying is be careful. There are a lot of charlatans out there.
Well, people get student loans all the time.Even the Obamas themselves had student loans.This is because scholarships are not easy to come by.
It was not highlighted in the article but we actually train folks who come through the program to become Systems Analysts as they pursue their masters in America.These are Job skills in high demand in the tech Industry.We will as well help them secure good Jobs after graduation and be able to repay any loans that they may have.
The program is for smart Kenyans wishing to study IT master's programs and wishing to have a career in the tech industry, where there is a short of skilled workers. It is not just for any one out there!!!!
We are not just bringing students to America, just for the sake of it!.
Africans, we need to stop our mentality of viewing any noble initiative with myopic eyes.
If you do your research well, you will know that most Indians come to study here using loans, and get amazing Jobs here after graduation. In fact, they are the most highly paid race in America, making about 100K as median household income....and where are we Africans?.....
You can learn more about the program here;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dhaREnosDdcje3iY_F0ihlYJKCzq7HaS/view?…
Well said at @Bob. Like you said these programs are not for everybody.Only smart ones.
Unless you are well off,have a full scholarship,your other option for funding your tuition is LOANS. Donations for friends and family are unreliable.
Technical skill are the skills of the present,and future.With well paying jobs,these students will payback these loans with no time.
Those who might frown at these programs because they are "LOANS" should consider that getting aloan is not awalk in the park either...
How to you get the application to apply?
How do I apply?
Hello Bob.
Am not an IT graduate but have strong passion in persuing Information systems training.
I do learn alot about major programming like Oracle, Python, C++ through internet.
I m a Bed Sc graduate from KU , 2Nd (lower)
Can I be captured in this program.?
My email wikingoina@gmail.com
0725877790 (Whatsapp)
Well said, hopefully they will be smart enough to get scholarships than the unsecured loans with outrageous interest rates I imagine.
Very good advice Mwangi. There is a big difference between Unsecured loans vs scholarships. These recipients will be heavily in debt before they are done. $50000 is probably for the 1st year. Still a long ways to go.
Very good advice Mwangi. There is a big difference between Unsecured loans vs scholarships. These recipients will be heavily in debt before they are done. $50000 is probably for the 1st year. Still a long ways to go. One can never be too careful.
6m loan for post-grad?
Bob,
Some of us are Wenyeinchi here. We have seen the aftermath of the so called student loans. All we are saying is be careful.
There are scholarships out there for masters programs and that's what you should be pushing. Talking about high paying jobs after graduation to pay back student loans is borrowed straight from brochures for those for-profit schools.
Many of these schools were investigated and found to be outright scams.
Whats the requirements for somebody to get the scholarship
Warning alert: If these kids are coming with the promise of loans, very bad idea. Indians do not come for Loans.First, they come with dodgy degrees from India, then boost them with few papers from here. More importantly, they have a spider-like network and will lie and scam to get a job. You can interview an Indian for a position, and the one that shows up for the job is a different person. I work with them. At work critical thinking is problems...that is when you wonder where they got their PhDs. MassChallenge(through Andela) has been doing something similar here in NE. Andela was recruiting African IT brights and training them. I hosted 6 this year (your idea is not new really). Now Andela just fired all IT and Innovators from East Africa and moved to South Africa. Again, the masters degrees from UIC, Georgia etc are cheap and the kids use the skills at home. Thank you.
Hello,
I would like to listen to your ideas about the program. The pros and the cons, and why i should be cautious jumping in. Kindly reply