Empowering a continent by creating better livelihoods through education.
The Wings to Fly scholarship program, an initiative of the Equity Group and Mastercard Foundation (MCF), was established to support secondary education for top performing children from financially challenged backgrounds. With support from other partners, the program offers access to leadership training to previously marginalized children in all counties.
The program offers comprehensive support for the scholars through provision of tuition fees, accommodation, books, uniform, shopping, pocket money and transport to and from school during their 4 years of secondary education. It has so far supported 60,009 bright but economically challenged scholars. MCF has so far committed to support 10,000 scholars through two phases of funding with the last intake joining the program in 2021.
The concept of animal welfare and rights has undergone significant transformations over the centuries. As humans, we have come to recognize the intrinsic value of animals and the importance of treating them with respect, kindness, and compassion. The animal welfare and rights movement has gained momentum globally, with a growing number of people advocating for the humane treatment of animals and an end to animal exploitation.
Elara stared, her organic kale chips turning to ash in her mouth. The line between welfare and rights snapped into brutal focus. Welfare, she realized, was Pip’s life: a clean cage, good food, no pain. But rights… rights were the sow’s absence. The right not to exist as a resource.
The relationship between humans and animals is undergoing a profound ethical, legal, and social transformation. For centuries, traditional frameworks viewed non-human animals primarily as resources, property, or tools for human advancement. Today, a growing body of scientific evidence regarding animal sentience is driving a global shift toward stronger legal protections and heightened moral consideration. Understanding this evolution requires exploring the distinction between animal welfare and animal rights, the philosophical foundations of these concepts, and the pressing challenges facing animals in modern society. Distinguishing Animal Welfare from Animal Rights
The globally recognized gold standard for animal welfare is the , originally formulated in the UK following a 1965 government report on livestock husbandry:
: A philosophical and "abolitionist" view that animals have moral worth independent of their utility to humans. It argues that animals should not be regarded as property and that any human exploitation—even if "humane"—is unethical. The Pillars of Animal Welfare
As Charles Darwin noted, the difference in mind between a human and a higher animal is one of degree, not kind.
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Critiques exist for both frameworks. Critics of animal welfare argue that it merely "regulates" cruelty, making the exploitation of animals more socially acceptable without addressing the root cause. Meanwhile, critics of animal rights argue that the philosophy is impractical in a world dependent on animal products for medicine and nutrition, or that it assigns human-like legal status to creatures that cannot fulfill social responsibilities.
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Martha completes primary school and passes her main exams with flying colors.
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Her parents can’t afford her high school tuition. She then applies for the Wings To Fly program.
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The Wings to Fly stepped in with a scholarship
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Martha does exceptionally well in her main secondary school exams with a vision in mind for her career.
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ELP steps in and Martha gets to study in an Ivy League university where she gets the best education.
