About the financial assistance programme
Our financial assistance programme exists to support attendees who would otherwise find it difficult to attend the conference.
We have a budget set aside for this purpose.
Financial assistance can include free or discounted tickets, as well as funds to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and other expenses.
Your application will be treated in complete confidence.
Who will receive financial assistance?
We'd love to be able to help all those who submit applications, but our funds are not unlimited, so sadly we won't be able to meet all requests.
The financial assistance programme will prioritise:
- speakers
- those whom we feel will contribute back to their local communities
- those who will help increase diversity at the event and in African programming
We will do our best to maximise the impact of our financial assistance funding.
How to apply
Please complete our form, before the deadline: 10th June, 2019 (anywhere in the world). We will not accept applications after this date.
Read the questions on the form carefully and answer them as best you can.
What can I request?
You can request a free ticket only, or a grant as well as a free ticket. Anyone who is allocated a grant will automatically receive a free ticket.
How much should I request?
Our budget is limited, and we will have to make some hard decisions. Generally, it is easier for us to accept smaller requests, as a single large request could consume most of our budget. The lower your request, the more likely it is that we will be able to accept it.
You need to consider:
- how much you will need to spend in total in order to attend the conference
- how much of this you can contribute yourself
The difference between these two figures is the amount you should request.
How should I calculate how much I should request?
You will need to budget for:
- travel
- visa, if necessary
- accommodation
- subsistence (evening meals, local transport, etc) while in Accra
Travel
Spend a little time researching your options. If you will need to travel by air, use websites such as Skyscanner or Hipmunk to estimate the cost of airfare. Be aware that a little flexibility with dates or routes can make a huge difference to the price of an air ticket.
Accommodation
There are many websites that will allow you to estimate the cost of accomodation, such as Hotels.com or Hostels World. If you know someone else who is also travelling, you can share a room to lower costs. If you are willing to share a room, let us know in your application.
Be reasonable - we want you to stay somewhere clean, safe and comfortable, but we cannot afford to place you in a luxury hotel!
Subsistence
You will have lunch and refreshments each day as part of the conference. In Accra, you can get a decent evening meal for about US$5. Local transport by minibus or taxi is also very inexpensive.
Timeline
- May 1st 2019: Financial aid application opens
- June 10th 2019: Financial aid application close
- June 24th 2019: Financial aid grants awarded
- July 3rd 2019: Deadline to respond to accept / decline financial aid
- August 8th - 9th 2019: Disbursement sessions at PyCon Africa
When will I receive the funds?
Funds will be provided to successful applicants on attendance at the conference.
Unfortunately, recent PyCons in Africa have been damaged by applicants for financial assistance who have received funds, and have failed to attend. Our financial situation cannot withstand this kind of abuse.
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to provide funds in advance to those who would otherwise find it impossible to attend. Please contact us as soon as possible if this is the case.