Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu encourages scholars to apply for Australia Awards in Africa.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has dedicated more than 50 years of his life to fighting social injustice and promoting human development at home in South Africa and abroad. One of Africa's most respected icons, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate is a man of passionate principles and, since 2010, has been the Patron of the Australian Government's Australia Awards in Africa.
Australia Awards offer opportunities for study and professional development in Australia through a range of scholarships.
Turning 80 on 7 October, the Archbishop said he was surprised he had made it this far because he had polio as a baby. This left him with a semi-paralysed right hand and he had to adjust to being left-handed as a result.
Despite announcing retirement from public life on his 79th birthday in October last year, the Archbishop accepted AusAID's invitation to become the key spokesperson for Australia Awards in Africa.
'It's through education that we are most likely to help people to escape poverty,' he said during a recent meeting with a group of alumni and new awardees in Cape Town.
Alumni member, Lorraine Rademeyer, told the Archbishop that she studied project management for infrastructure development at RMIT University in 2008. Today she's working for the Western Province Provincial Government in the health sector and she's involved in the infrastructure of hospitals in the local area.
'We're busy building two new clinics in the Western Cape at the moment,' Lorraine explained.
'One in Mitchells Plain and a second clinic with 230 beds in Khyelitsha [poverty stricken townships on the outskirts of Cape Town], so my studies in Australia made a huge difference to me and the way I see things. I have the principles now that I need to use and I'm doing that while we manage the construction of these new community clinics.
'It was also a wonderful experience being in Australia because we were able to visit different companies and some of the government departments as well to see how they are doing things so I could bring those things back to South Africa with me.'
Eugene Laloo studied for his masters degree in environmental management and development at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. Today he's the Coordinator for Occupational Health and Wellness at the Cape Peninsular University of Technology and he's teaching Environmental Management at the same university. Eugene endorsed the Australia Awards, noting Australia's experience in environmental management and the level of support provided to Australia Awards recipients.
The Australia Awards provide options for postgraduate study as well as short-term professional development opportunities for citizens from across Africa. In 2011, 400 awards will be offered to up to 40 African countries. By 2013, the Australian Government will offer 1000 awards a year.
AusAID's Minister Counsellor for Africa, Jamie Isbister, said it's an exciting time to be part of Australia's aid program to Africa.
'The Australian Government is committed to expanding our support and engagement with Africa on a range of levels, but the Australia Awards are really a central part of our program. What it's really about is looking at ways Australia can share its expertise and many of these awardees are coming to Australia to learn more. They then build relationships which they bring back for long term benefits to themselves, as well as for Africa's long-term development.