Dear Supporters,

We are pleased to inform you that the scope of support offered through the Graça Machel Scholarship is expanding. In February this year, a pilot programme was launched, for which the Canon Collins Trust and Mrs Machel have partnered with universidad.es. Two scholars - Vania Matola from Mozambique and Rina Mandimbiniaina from Madagascar – are being sponsored to study towards a Masters degree in tourism in Spain.

Although their Masters courses are only starting at the end of September, Vania and Rina have already spent 6 months in Spain, participating in an intensive language course. They have decided to live with local families, in order to enhance the opportunities of learning the language as quick as possible. Earlier this month, they have both successfully passed their language exams on advanced level, which is all the more impressive, give that neither of them spoke any Spanish until February. The additional language skills will be a great asset for the scholars upon their return home. However, much more importantly, they will be able to contribute to the development of tourism sectors in their respective countries.

Spain, as one of Europe’s leading holiday destinations and a country where the tourism sector is very well-developed, is a great place to study tourism-related matters. Both scholars underline that their home countries have great potential, but the tourism sectors in both Mozambique and Madagascar are still underdeveloped and largely foreign-owned.

Rina already has experience of sustainable tourism through studying geography back in Madagascar. “My principal objective will be to develop sustainable tourism, beneficial for local people” – she says - “I have always wanted to do something for rural people of Madagascar. Involving them in their own development is considered as an important tool to deal with poverty. All of the formation and research that I was doing focused on that issue”. 

Through her Masters in Tourism Planning and Innovation at the University of Tarragona, Rina hopes to acquire practical skills in community based tourism, and devise programmes which benefit local people and contribute to poverty-reduction.

Thank you once again for your support, which turns our scholars’ ambitions into opportunities for development and growth in their home countries.

Best wishes,

Karolina

Canon Collins Trust