Kenyan student Amisa Rashid has been named a top 10 finalist for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2021.
Chegg.org global student prize is a new Sh10,000,000 award to be given to one exceptional student who has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers, and on society.
Amisa Rashid, 27, is pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and management at Strathmore University, Nairobi.
She was selected from over 3,500 nominations and applications from 94 countries around the world. The award is a brainchild of the Varkey Foundation.
The Global Student Prize was launched earlier this year and mirrors the Sh100 million Global Teacher Award that was won by Peter Tabichi, a Kenyan teacher in 2019.
Born and raised in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa and home to her marginalised Nubian community, Amisa Rashid witnessed inter-tribal war at the age of 11 and experienced the post-election violence and inter-tribal clashes.
Struggling with her own grief after the death of her father, she set up the Nivishe Foundation whose main objective is to create mental health awareness.
It seeks to break the stigma against mental illnesses, targeting women, youth, and children from vulnerable informal settlements and marginalised communities, many of whom are victims of violence.
Nivishe focuses on building resilience with community-based mental health interventions and trauma-informed programmes to enhance cohesion.
Amisa would use the prize funds to expand her work nationally and also internationally, reaching other countries in Africa as well.
The award aims to create a powerful new platform that shines a light on the efforts of extraordinary students everywhere who, together, are reshaping the world for the better.
The prize is open to all students who are at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills programme.
Part-time students, as well as students enrolled in online courses, are also eligible for the prize.
"Chegg.org has partnered with the Varkey Foundation to create the new Global Student Prize," Chegg CEO & President Dan Rosensweig said.
“While many stakeholders are busy debating, these students are busy doing. Congratulations to all the finalists of the Global Student Prize. They truly are the changemakers our world needs.”
-Edited by SKanyara
