By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Kumasi, July 01, GNA – The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has reaffirmed its commitment to equitable access to education through the Vice-Chancellor’s Support One Needy Student with One Laptop (SONSOL) initiative.
The initiative has provided more than 4,000 laptops to financially disadvantaged students since its inception in 2021.
At the 2026 SONSOL Award Ceremony, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Asamoah, delivering a speech on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, highlighted the initiative’s impact on students’ academic journeys and digital inclusion.
The Vice-Chancellor said what began as an intervention to address an urgent need had evolved into a major pillar of support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“What started as a desperate plea to our stakeholders to help bridge the digital divide has grown into a monumental pillar of equity on this campus.
In our maiden edition in 2021, we handed over 593 brand-new laptops.
The following year, we distributed 793 laptops.
Through the unyielding kindness of our partners, our cumulative distributions over the past five years have proudly surpassed 4,000 laptops,” she explained.
She acknowledged that access to digital tools had increasingly become important in an era of rapid technological advancement and artificial intelligence (AI), noting that, laptops were indispensable for students pursuing research, software development, data analytics and other technology-driven fields.
Professor Dickson expressed appreciation to the University’s corporate partners, alumni and stakeholders, including Stanbic Bank Ghana, Ecobank, Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), Telecel Ghana, Absa Bank Ghana, the KNUST SRC and GRASAG, for their continued support of the initiative.
While celebrating the programme’s achievements, she appealed to corporate organisations, financial institutions, philanthropists and alumni to increase their support to help meet the growing demand for laptops among needy students.
“No contribution is too small.
One laptop can permanently alter the trajectory of an entire family, and collectively, we can ensure that digital poverty becomes a thing of the past at KNUST,” she added.
Delivering a solidarity message, Mr. Anthony Asare, Ashanti Regional Manager of Stanbic Bank Ghana, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting educational initiatives that empowered students and contributed to national development.
He said every laptop distributed under the programme represented an opportunity for students to overcome barriers and realize their academic potential.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Miss Vera Morgan, described the SONSOL initiative as a life-changing intervention that continued to restore hope and create opportunities for students facing financial difficulties.
She commended the Vice-Chancellor for establishing and sustaining the initiative, saying quality education extended beyond admission to providing students with the resources needed to succeed.
She noted that laptops had become indispensable for accessing lecture materials, conducting research, completing assignments, participating in online learning and acquiring digital skills.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Christabel Addo
Reporter: Florence Afriyie Mensah
Email: [email protected]