Afrobeats artist Patoranking has teamed up with ALX Africa to launch a $500,000 (more than R9 million) scholarship scheme through his Patoranking Foundation.
The programme seeks to assist young people in Africa who are tech-savvy.
In an interview with The Citizen, Patoranking stated that their goal for the next ten years is to assist one million young African people.
“We are going to take advantage of any available partnership opportunities to make that happen,” he continued. We most certainly look forward to maybe traveling to every region of Africa.
The scholarships, according to Divesh Sooka, General Manager at ALX South Africa, will encourage resilience and innovation in order to lower the youth unemployment rate in the nation.
He continued, “Young, gifted people in South Africa are abundant and ready to use technology to change their lives, their communities, and the continent as a whole.
assisting in the sustainable development of Africa
The artist went on to say that the objective is to provide future African leaders with opportunity and necessary technological tools.
“We want to strengthen their abilities so they may work on community development initiatives and support Africa’s sustainable development. Our goal is to assist them in developing so they can support their communities in turn.
When asked what inspired him to start his foundation, Patoranking replied his own experiences served as motivation.
“I started off as a personal vow to God that I would assist those in need once I attained my current status. Having gone through financial hardship, I know what it’s like to be in need.
“At first, I was quietly assisting, but as time went on, my friends and team suggested formalising our efforts to reach a wider audience.”
He acknowledged that it’s difficult to strike a balance between his charity activities and his lucrative music career.
“I offer my services whenever the foundation needs them. We approach things day by day. I can effectively handle both sides of my music company by having conversations regarding the foundation on a regular basis.
