Title: Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi mobilizes students from Haut Katanga to promote academic excellence and awareness of sickle cell disease
Introduction :
Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, president of the Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi Foundation, recently brought together nearly 180 students from 20 schools in Haut Katanga to raise awareness of the importance of academic excellence and the fight against sickle cell disease. During a lunch organized at the Pullman hotel in Lubumbashi, the First Lady presented the EXCELLENTIA program, which aims to reward excellence by granting scholarships to students who have obtained a minimum of 85% in the exam. State.
Promoting academic excellence and the fight against sickle cell disease:
Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi underlined the importance of students in the development of the country and encouraged them to surpass themselves to achieve academic excellence. She recalled that the EXCELLENTIA program offers winners the opportunity to continue their studies, whether in local establishments or abroad. This initiative aims to train an elite who will contribute to the future development of the nation.
The President of the Foundation also took this opportunity to raise awareness among students about sickle cell anemia, the first genetic disease in the world. She urged young people to get tested, stressing that the disease affects not only individuals, but also families and society as a whole. Screening kits will soon be made available to students in certain hospital centers in Lubumbashi.
The successes of the EXCELLENTIA program:
Since its creation, the EXCELLENTIA program has already awarded scholarships to 241 students, 82 of whom are pursuing university studies in Morocco, France and the United States, and 159 scholarship recipients have remained in local establishments. This program, which extends over a decade, aims to award a total of 1000 national scholarships and 100 international scholarships.
Inspiring examples and future perspectives:
Some scholarship recipients from the first edition of the EXCELLENTIA program were present during the meeting, in order to share their experience and motivate future laureates. These concrete examples deliver a message of encouragement and hope regarding the prospects offered by this initiative.
Conclusion :
The meeting between Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi and the students of Haut Katanga represents an important step in the promotion of academic excellence and awareness of sickle cell disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By encouraging students to strive for academic excellence and to be screened for sickle cell disease, the Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi Foundation is helping to train a generation of competent young people, aware of their health, and ready to contribute to the development of the country. The EXCELLENTIA program opens promising horizons for the educational future of Congolese students, in particular by offering them the opportunity to pursue higher education and become agents of change in their country.