Giving Back to Africa

• Overview
• Current work
• Where we've been

GBA Scholars Program Overview

The GBA Scholars Program (GBASP) creates positive change in the DRC by investing in the education of Congolese young people and empowering them to give back to their communities. GBA selects two Scholars a year and provides them with the resources to earn their Masters-level degree at the Protestant University of Congo (UPC) while preparing them for the principal focus of the program: a two-year giving back project designed and implemented by each GBA Scholar in an underserved area of the DRC.

In addition to their coursework, Scholars participate in regular GBA seminars designed to create a learning community where Scholars develop the problem-solving, leadership, analytical, and practical skills necessary to effectively work with community members to bring about positive social change. Discussion forums and service learning projects provide Scholars the preparation necessary to apply the knowledge and leadership skills they have gained while at UPC.

The GBA seminars are coordinated and facilitated by the GBA Program Director but Scholars are encouraged to actively contribute to each other's learning. We seek to foster a true community of scholarly exchange and mutual support where the Scholars are united by a common purpose to strengthen underserved Congolese communities. The goals for these seminars are for the Scholars to:

• Critically analyze current issues facing Congolese communities and propose solutions based on thoughtful assessment of factors necessary for lasting social change,
• Learn by visiting local underserved communities, working with and listening to community members to assess community needs and assets,
• Interact with visiting scholars, policy-makers, community leaders who present their research on and experience with particular community issues,
• Debate and offer constructive criticism and ideas related to Scholars’ own research and preparation for their two Giving Back projects, and
• Socialize and provide mutual support for the success of all.

The GBASP creates a ripple effect of lasting positive change that spreads from the Scholars to the people in the communities where they give back and in turn to the DRC as a whole. The diagram below shows the framework for the GBA Scholars Program and the anticipated outcomes.

Click here to download a PDF of the diagram above: Giving Back to Africa Scholars Program

The first two GBA scholars began the four-year program in 2007 and worked closely with GBA staff to initiate the GBASP at UPC. With two more Scholars joining the program each year, each successive cohort of Scholars will help to guide our future development.

Application Process

The GBASP selects two Scholars a year through a rigorous application process, which includes a preliminary application, an in-depth written exam, and an interview process. The applications are reviewed by committees in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the US and the Scholars are chosen based on their dedication to community service, academic achievements, leadership qualities and financial need.

Why Two Scholars a Year?

This is a pilot project requiring seminar development and training of Congolese directors. As this is achieved and funds become available we plan to expand, but the program will remain a small and select group. Eventually, we hope that this will become a program model that can be introduced in other countries in Africa as well.

What do the Scholars do?

Once the Scholars complete their Masters-level course work at UPC they each work on a two-year Giving Back Project in an underserved community in the DRC. The Scholars work with a local nonprofit organization to assess the needs of the community and then design and implement a project. The Giving Back Projects enable the Scholars to use their education to create positive change in their communities. GBA works closely with the Scholars to help them select the organization with which they will work and then to plan and design the project. We will also supervise and support the Scholars throughout their two-year Giving Back Projects and help to assess the impacts of the projects on the communities.