Program’s framework

The Mastercard Foundation Program at the University of Abomey-Calavi is a very new initiative carried in Benin with the ambition to to educate tomorrow’s political and civic leaders and also prominent entrepreneurs. The program lays on integrity principles that allow to detect scholars whose profiles match correctly with the Mastercard Foundation scholarships selection criteria as it follows :

Strong academic results ;
Disadvantaged living conditions which could have prevented the scholar to have access to University if not selected for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship
Leadership and engagement skills.

Are you identified as part of one the UAC Mastercard Foundation Scholars ? It’s all because of your outstanding capacities to acquire knowledge and make an innovative use of it to drive change and foster development.

Your shcolarship means that you’re part of the targets of the program especially either new students entering a bachelor degree program within one of the identified schools or faculties, or the UAC graduates accepted as incubates at the Startup Valley to get proper mentoring during their successful entrepreneur’s journey early days.

1. Scholars in Bachelor degree programs

A 200 scholars cohort with equal allotment for men and women will get the Mastercard Foundation support. Selection process and yearly number go as it follows :

thirty (30) students in 2017-2018 ;
fifty (50) students in 2018-2019 ;
sixty (60) students in 2019-2020 ; and
sixty (60) students in 2020-2021.

Apart from classes and academic courses during the bachelor degree program, the program is committed to provide scholars with capacity building activities. Activities include but are not limited:

Welcoming session to provide guidance and advice to students at their arrival on the campus. This activity allows to give you a brief description of the program and its objectives and also get your committment to respect the program’s rules. Each scholar receives his/her personal laptop (those who have a limited knowledge of a laptop usage will get free informatics courses especially Ms Word and Ms Excel) ;
Leadership, entrepreneurship and personal developement workshops. During those workshops you get to discover the notions of volunteerism, committment, innovation, critical thinking, multicultural projects management, financial management, networking, etc. The trainings are held based upon a yearly plan you’ll all get from the Program Coordination office ;
A one-year service with the Volunteers Corporation of the UAC. The Volunteers corporation of the UAC was created to provide the graduates with a first professional experience within a competitive institution. The volunteers are hired each 2 years and are given intensive two-month capacity building trainings with focus on self-confidence, punctuality, volunteerism, diligence. Then they’re offered a 8-month internship in Town Halls, public services, companies or farmhouses. A the end of the route, they’ve gotten new ways of thinking and capacities to face issues they might encounter during their career or life journey to become social change makers and economic actors;
Mentoring to enter the job market. While getting motivated by the experience within the Volunteers corporation with a nice view on your potential and your capacities to make an impact in your country, the Mastercard Foundation support allows you to make the pertinent decisions for a brighter future. You’ll consequently have a permanent support including advice, useful information, mentoring, support to start master degrees studies, support to enter the job market either in the public sector or the private sector, support to apply for the Startup Valley incubation service to launch your own business.

I short, the Mastercard Foundation scholarship is attributed for three years covering the bachelor degrees studies and is extended to the fourth year during your experience with the Volunteers Corporation.

2. Scholars mentored by the UAC startup valley

100 scholars (half of each sex) will obtain the Mastercard Foundation scholarship to enter the UAS Startup Valley incubation process.

Scholars selection will occur as it follows : dix (10) diplômés en 2017-2018 ;

twenty (20) graduates in 2018-2019 ;
twenty (20) graduates in 2019-2020 ;
twenty (20) graduates in 2020-2021 ;
thirty (30) graduates in 2021-2022.

The UAC is the business incubator of the University of Abomey-Calavi. It was created to help young graduates launch their own companies or business through a mentoring process implemented by the incubator. The UAC startup valley management team is composed of entrepreneurs who are able to mentor youngsters through their experience so that they are able to invest and be sustainable.

In case you’re one of the Scholars selected for the UAC startup valley incubation process, get ready to be given a 3-year high-quality mentoring including :

Business plans writing. In fact the UAC startup Valley incubates are selected based on their business ideas and their abilities to sell it. Once they enter the incubation program, they get various trainings on team work, projects writing, entrepreneurship mindset set to help them write their business plans and have them validated;
Access to funding. Once they’re done with the business plans writing each of the companies may get a funding from the UAC Startup Valley partners. Note that prior to funding reception, product/service prototypes are to be manufactured and a financial contribution is needed from the entrepreneur. The UAC Startup Valley also provides help for the financing plan writing and the fundraising to launch your activities;
The one-on-one mentoring for the new company. The UAC Startup Valley experts are available and will let you learn from their own experience to help you avoid common novices’ errors. You’ll be able to develop the capacities you need to manage your business and take it