By Yussif Ibrahim
Obuasi, Oct. 23, GNA – A parent of one of the beneficiaries of the MTN Bright Scholarship Awards, has paid glowing tribute to MTN Ghana for the positive impact it is making in the lives of needy students across the country.
Madam Afia Agyeiwaa, a 52-year-old widow whose daughter is pursuing Publishing Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology could not help but praised MTN during a ceremony to award beneficiaries in Kumasi.
“I am a tomato seller and the little I make is not enough to support my daughter’s education so, the intervention by MTN is timely and a huge relief from the financial burden on my shoulders,” an emotional but proud mother stated.
She said she could not thank MTN enough for bringing hope to her daughter and many others who had been struggling to stay in school.
“It is my prayer that your business will continue to grow so that you can continue to help more deserving students like my daughter to stay in school, she prayed.
Dubbed, “MTN Bright Scholarship Reloaded”, the initiative seeks to support brilliant but needy tertiary students in public tertiary institutions across all 16 regions with an enhanced package targeting 300 students over the next three years.
The scholarship would cover tuition, accommodation, a stipend of GHC 1,150.00 per semester and a laptop to facilitate learning.
Fifty of the 100 beneficiaries for this year received their packages at a ceremony held at the Law Faculty of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
Mr Samuel Koranteng, a Board Member of MTN Foundation, said the Foundation was convinced that education was one of the main avenues for social mobility, the reason it continued to invest in education.
He said during the launch of the scholarship in June, MTN received heart-warming testimonies of how some previous beneficiaries almost dropped out of school but for the timely intervention of the MTN Bright Scholarship Awards.
“The Bright Scholarship became the turning point for them and out of the 119 beneficiaries that graduated, 82 graduated with first class honours with 24 receiving special awards,” he disclosed.
He said special emphasis was placed on selecting students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Data Analytics, Robotics Vocational and Technical Education.
Persons with Disability interested in studying Information Communication Technology and Computer Science were also given priority, he said.
Beyond the scholarship, Mr Koranteng said the MTN Foundation had built several schools, refurbished hospitals and empowered people economically, thereby impacting the lives of four million Ghanaians directly and one million others indirectly.
He said the Foundation had spent $15 million on corporate social responsibilities in the areas of education, health and economic empowerment.
GNA