About A2Empowerment
We provide scholarships and educational support to girls and women in Cameroon so that they may increase their knowledge and empower themselves to lead healthier, more productive lives.
A2Empowerment is a nonprofit company dedicated to empowering women through education. Since its founding in 2008, the company has awarded over 2,300 educational scholarships to young women in Cameroon. Recipients are chosen based on need and merit, with a priority placed on selecting young women in the later years of high school when they are at a higher risk of dropping out. This year approximately $80 USD will cover tuition, fees and supplies for a year of school.
A2Empowerment works with Cameroonian Partners to identify applicants, award scholarships and mentor recipients. Scholarship recipients are expected to meet monthly with their mentors and other scholarship recipients, who are clustered in their area, to report on their academic progress and discuss topics like health and wellness. In addition, scholarship recipients serve as role models by volunteering in their communities. Community projects have included tutoring younger students, painting a world map mural in their community or presenting to classmates on health-related issues.
We plan to continue and improve this program, sustaining support for current recipients who qualify and expanding the program to additional students.
A2Empowerment has awarded more than 2,300 scholarships across Cameroon since 2008
Scholarships
Our selection and award process is constantly evolving to best meet the needs of our students. Our Cameroonian partners begin publicizing opportunities in January of each year. Completed applications, due in March, include:
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A questionnaire
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A report card
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A recommendation letter (optional)
Applications are reviewed and rated by A2Empowerment leadership. Recipients are selected based on the ranking of written responses on their application, school performance, and recommendations. Mentors are informed of the recipients in early June and emailed an A2Empowerment certificate to award to each young woman. Contracts outlining expectations are signed by scholarship recipients and her main guardian.
Board of Directors
Our History
In 2008, Anne Rapin and Anne Cheung were inspired by Rapin’s prior experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer stationed in Cameroon, where she witnessed the injustices faced by girls and women in her village. The pair worked with the Peace Corps to provide need- and merit-based scholarships for young women in the Adamaoua Region at high risk of dropping out of school.
Since 2019, A2Empowerment has been building our sustainability and capacity by working with trusted Cameroonian partners to mentor and support our students. Program alumni are the future of the program, serving as mentors and leaders of A2Empowerment Cameroon. Thanks to them, we have been able to continue providing scholarships through the COVID-19 pandemic and to grow our network of empowered young women throughout Cameroon to increase our impact.
Partnerships
From our beginnings in the Admaoua Region, our work has expanded to the furthest reaches of Cameroon. As we have grown, our network has expanded to include international development organizations in Cameroon and the United States that strengthen our work, including:
