Daisry chooses Hage over scholarship

OGONE TLHAGE WINDHOEKPresidential advisor for youth matters, Daisry Mathias, has opted to decline a Fulbright scholarship she had been offered, despite being one of the top three candidates selected for the prestigious programme.Citing her reasons for rejecting the scholarship - despite applying for it in the first place - Mathias said she was committed to her job.Namibian Sun understands that Mathias had been made to reconsider her decision to accept the scholarship over fears that it would lead to backlash, a claim she dismissed.“I haven’t been forced to decline; it’s a big sacrifice I made. Nobody forced me, it was a personal decision. Nobody can tell me what to do,” Mathias said telephonically.“We cannot run the country on gossip; you guys are speculating,” she added to claims that she had been forced to decline the scholarship.Mathias also mentioned the time she would have to spend in the United States for the programme, 24 months, as key to her decision.She said it was too long a time to be away from the country where she serves an important youth portfolio in the presidency.“I declined the scholarship having considered the commitment I have made to the president and in fulfilment of national duties. A 24-month absence from home and work during such a crucial time in our country’s development was too long,” she said.Meritocracy ‘embraced’When asked whether she had in her portfolio helped assisting other youth gain opportunities, she said: “In my role as the youth advisor, I continue to facilitate access to opportunities for young Namibians by publicly and frequently sharing information on official social media channels and encouraging young Namibians to apply for those opportunities. The open call for the Fulbright applications was no exception,” Mathias said.Political office-bearers were further not entitled to publicly-funded bursaries or scholarships from government, as part of its human resources policy, she said.“Policymakers are expected to further their education through self-financed study. This includes and affects young professionals such as myself who require a lot of personal and professional development. Meritocracy has been embraced in the public service and, to that end, I believe in lifelong learning and continuous education to improve the quality of public service.”

Daisry chooses Hage over scholarship

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-30

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Daisry chooses Hage over scholarship

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-30

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