By Boris Esono Nwenfor
For Giovanny Bikak Mbal, supporting young people cannot stop at paying tuition. Through the Gwags Scholars Program, the foundation is betting on a broader model, one that combines education, professional experience and a culture of giving back.
For many young Cameroonians, getting into university is only the beginning of the struggle. There is tuition to pay, transport to find, books and academic materials to buy, food to afford and, increasingly, the pressure of preparing for a labour market that demands experience from people who have barely left the classroom.
It is this gap between getting an education and being able to make something of it that Giovanny Bikak Mbal says inspired the creation of the Gwags Scholars Program.
“We realised that there are two aspects that are very much limited when it comes to Cameroonian youth: access to education and access to employment,” Giovanny Bikak Mbal, Board Chair and Interim Executive Director of the Gwags Foundation, told Pan African Visions.
For the first edition of the programme, Gwags chose to tackle the first problem. But the organisation deliberately avoided designing a scholarship that would simply pay tuition and end there.
What inspired GWAGS to establish the Scholars Program, and what problem was it designed to address?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: What inspired us to establish the Scholars Program was our recognition that two areas remain major challenges for Cameroonian youth: access to education and access to employment. For the first batch, we decided to focus primarily on access to education.
From our research, we found that tuition in many public institutions can be around FCFA 50,000. But we also realised that tuition is only one part of the financial burden students face. They still have to pay for transportation, academic materials, food and other daily needs.
That is why we decided to provide FCFA 150,000 per scholar. The intention was not simply to help students pay tuition, but also to give them some financial breathing room to meet other academic and basic needs.
However, we did not want the programme to focus only on students experiencing financial difficulties. There are many students facing such challenges. We wanted to invest in students who, despite their difficulties, demonstrate academic potential and the ability to identify and solve problems in their communities.
That is why we established two main selection criteria. The first was academic performance, measured through the student’s GPA. The second was an essay in which applicants had to identify a problem affecting young people in their community and propose a practical solution.
After reviewing the academic records and the proposed solutions, we selected 10 scholars and provided them with financial support.
For the next batch, our goal is to establish partnerships with companies in Cameroon so that our scholars can access internship opportunities. We want them to begin building professional experience and networks while they are still at university, increasing their chances of securing employment after graduation.
How many students applied for the first batch, and how did you arrive at the final number of scholars?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: The first batch was quite challenging. Initially, we decided to focus on students in Douala because we thought starting in one city would allow us to build the programme gradually.
However, we quickly realised that we did not have enough visibility. We had to personally contact schools in Douala and ask them to share the opportunity with their students, but many schools and administrators did not respond.
At one point, we had received only five applications. We then decided that rather than limiting the opportunity to Douala, we should open it to students across Cameroon. That changed everything. Once we expanded nationally, the number of applications increased from five to 182.
We received applications from Yaoundé, Bertoua, Bamenda, Buea, Douala and other parts of the country. Even among the 10 scholars selected, there is a good geographical mix. Launching the programme was certainly not easy. Beyond the financial commitment, visibility was a major challenge. But we believe the first batch has created a foundation that will make future editions more visible and attractive, particularly as we introduce internship opportunities.
How does the programme help students overcome the financial challenges that can disrupt their education?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: The financial support has two main components. First, each scholar receives FCFA 150,000. This is intended to cover tuition and help with other academic and personal expenses. I would not say that FCFA 150,000 is enough to support a student for an entire year, but it provides meaningful financial relief.
The second component will be the internship programme. We are targeting paid internship opportunities for our scholars. While we cannot guarantee that every internship will be paid, our objective is to connect students with established companies where they can gain experience while also earning some income.
Instead of spending their holidays doing temporary jobs that may not contribute significantly to their careers, we want them to have opportunities to work in professional environments, develop their skills and earn something from their work.
Why did Gwags decide to combine scholarship support with internships and professional development?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: We realised that the next step after academic learning is putting that knowledge into practice. What is the value of spending several years in university if you do not have an opportunity to apply what you have learned? That is why we decided that the scholarship should address the academic side, while internships address the professional side. By combining the two, we hope to develop young people who are not only strong academically but can also translate their knowledge into practical solutions and professional skills.
What skills and competencies do you hope scholars will develop through the programme?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: One of the most important qualities we were looking for was the ability to solve problems. We did not want applicants simply to tell us why they deserved a scholarship. If that were the only criterion, many students could make a convincing case for themselves, including some who may not necessarily need the financial support.
Instead, we wanted students who could look around their communities, identify problems and think about possible solutions. Beyond that, we want scholars to develop skills relevant to their fields of study. This is another reason the internship component is important. Their placements should help them acquire practical competencies that will allow them to thrive in their future careers.
We also want to encourage empathy. If an organisation that does not personally know you can believe in you and invest in your future, we hope you will develop the same willingness to support someone else in your community in the future. There are no strings attached to the scholarship. We simply want to encourage a culture where people who receive support are inspired to support others.
How does GWAGS intend to measure the impact of the Scholars Program beyond the number of beneficiaries?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: The first measure of impact is how the programme changes the lives of the students who receive the scholarship. After we disbursed the scholarships, we received messages from many of the scholars expressing their appreciation and explaining how the support would help them continue their education.
But the impact goes beyond the immediate financial assistance. We also want to see how successful these young people become in their careers and what they eventually do with the opportunities they receive.
If we can help them enter the professional sector, develop skills and build networks, we hope they will eventually help other young people do the same. So, for us, impact is not simply about the number of applications or beneficiaries. It is about the quality of the transformation and what scholars are able to achieve with the resources and opportunities they receive.
What challenges has Gwags encountered in implementing the Scholars Program, particularly in reaching students across Cameroon?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: Visibility was our biggest challenge. When we launched the programme, we assumed that offering FCFA 150,000 would automatically attract a large number of applicants. But during the first three weeks, we had to personally reach out to people and organisations to publicise the opportunity.
We contacted friends, schools and social media platforms, including Cameroonian Facebook and Instagram pages. Some platforms required payment to promote the programme, which is understandable because that is their business model. But as an organisation working for the community, we had hoped some would support the initiative voluntarily.
Another challenge was working through universities and student associations. We initially thought student governments would be the best channels for reaching students, but some were not as responsive as we expected.
Some institutions also required formal authorisation before allowing us to share the opportunity with their students. Unfortunately, this slowed down the process.
We also encountered challenges with the quality of some early applications. Some applicants submitted incomplete essays or documents that did not meet the requirements. At one point, after two or three months, we had only five applications, and we seriously considered whether the programme was viable.
But expanding the programme nationally changed the situation. Once we opened the opportunity to students across Cameroon, applications began coming in through word of mouth. At one point, we were receiving six or seven applications a day.
More importantly, the quality of the applications improved significantly. Students began identifying problems that are often overlooked. Instead of only talking about youth unemployment and access to education, applicants discussed issues such as mental health, internet access, student accommodation, vaping, teenage pregnancy and the lack of adequate sexual education.
We were particularly encouraged by the fact that many applicants were identifying less obvious problems and proposing creative solutions. Going from five applications to 182 is something we are very proud of, and we hope future editions will attract even more applicants and, importantly, more high-quality applications.
Does Gwags plan to expand the Scholars Program beyond Cameroon?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: For now, our focus is Cameroon.
We want to strengthen the programme here, particularly by building partnerships with institutions and organisations that can support our scholars with internships and professional opportunities. However, as Gwags grows, we see the potential for the programme to expand across Africa. Our broader ambition is to build a platform that helps African young people access education, develop practical skills and find opportunities to use those skills within the continent.
One of the challenges we want to address is the migration of skilled young people simply because they cannot find opportunities to apply their knowledge at home. We understand why young people may seek opportunities abroad. But if we can help create meaningful educational and professional opportunities here, we can give them more reasons to build their careers within Cameroon and Africa.
What message would you like to give to the new batch of scholars?
Giovanny Bikak Mbal: First, congratulations. It was not easy to be selected. These students took the time to obtain their academic records, write compelling essays and identify specific problems affecting young people in their communities.
I would encourage them to make the best possible use of this opportunity. Use the resources to strengthen your education. Think about how the support can help you move closer to your goals and, where possible, how it can also benefit your family and community. Most importantly, remember that someone believed in you enough to invest in your future.
In the same way that Gwags has supported you, I hope that one day you will be in a position to support someone else. That is the kind of cycle we want to create: one person receives an opportunity, uses it well, succeeds and then creates opportunities for others.
