The seven finalists from the Margaret McNamara Memorial Foundation scholarships for Africa for 2009 have been named by the MMMF Board and Selection Committee and have begun their academic year in January 2009 at either the University of Cape Town or University of Pretoria. This represents an expansion of the MMMF scholarship program to a second university in South Africa in an effort to make the graduate educational experience more available to women from many parts of Africa.

Elna van Gruening, co-chair of the Selection Panel for the Africa program, presented the awards certificates to recipients at a ceremony in South Africa during her visit in February. These recipients are to be congratulated on their selection, which was based on their significant academic and volunteer achievements on behalf of women and children in their home countries. Their academic progress and continued success will be followed with great interest by all associated with MMMF and its goals, according to Caroline Berney, President of the MMMF.

Additional recipients of awards of scholarships for further graduate study in the United States or Canada will be announced in the Spring of 2009 by the MMMF. The selection process is underway, involving a number of volunteer readers from WBFN. In May, recipients will attend a Forum in Washington at the World Bank to present their research interests and meet with Bank staff and WBFN members as well as with Friends of MMMF and the MMMF Board and Selection Committee.

Sarah Brau, MMMF Board