By Stanley Senya
Accra, Oct. 08, GNA – Hamdia Issahaku’s journey from selling body splash between hostels at the University for Development Studies (UDS) to graduating as the Best Female Graduating Student at the School of Nursing and Midwifery is a story of resilience, determination and opportunity.
Raised in Gambaga in the North East Region, Hamdia lost her mother at a young age, while her father retired around the time she was preparing to enter Senior High School, leaving the family with limited financial resources.
The family’s financial difficulties deepened when her brother was involved in a serious accident and required a craniotomy, a major surgical procedure to treat conditions affecting the brain.
The cost of his treatment consumed a significant portion of her father’s savings, leaving the family struggling to meet other household and educational expenses.
When Hamdia gained admission to the UDS to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, financing her education became a major challenge.
Determined to remain in school, she began selling body splash to students, moving from one hostel to another to raise money to support herself.
She said the business helped her meet some of her basic needs, but balancing it with the demands of the nursing programme became increasingly difficult.
“I had to sell body splash from one hostel to the other just to cater for some of my needs. As a result, I started facing academic setbacks, sometimes missing lectures,” she said.
Hamdia applied for the Tisungtaba Scholarship, but the assistance she received was not sufficient to cover all her educational needs.
Her situation changed after Dr Umar Haruna, then Vice Dean of Students at UDS, directed her to apply for the MTN Bright Scholarship.
She was subsequently selected as an MTN Bright Scholar, receiving support that covered her tuition and accommodation, together with a laptop and a stipend for books and other study materials.
The intervention relieved her of the financial pressure that had forced her to combine academic work with selling body splash.
“I had tears of joy because finally I had gotten the support I really needed, a fully funded scholarship. It still remains one of the happiest days of my life,” she said.
With her basic educational needs covered, Hamdia was able to devote more attention to her studies.
She also said the scholarship selection process helped improve her confidence, particularly in public speaking and presenting herself before others.
After completing her nursing programme at UDS, Hamdia graduated as the Best Female Graduating Student at the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
She is currently undertaking her National Service at the Tema General Hospital, where she is gaining practical experience and beginning her professional nursing career.
Beyond nursing, Hamdia has retained her entrepreneurial drive and has started a small beverage business producing and selling Sobolo and Zomkom.
She said her immediate priority was to build her professional experience while preparing for the next stage of her career.
Reflecting on her journey, Hamdia expressed gratitude to the MTN Ghana Foundation for providing the financial support that enabled her to concentrate on her education.
“MTN Ghana Foundation has made it clear that you just have to take the first step, and there will be someone to support you throughout the journey,” she said.
The MTN Bright Scholarship was launched in 2017 to mark MTN Ghana’s 20th anniversary and has supported 1,220 brilliant but needy students to complete tertiary education.
The scholarship provides beneficiaries with tuition, accommodation, a laptop and a stipend for books and study materials.
According to the MTN Ghana Foundation, the programme has reached students across 18 tertiary institutions, including the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Cape Coast, as well as colleges of education and health training institutions.
Seventeen Bright Scholars have graduated as valedictorians or best students at their universities, while 299 have graduated with first-class honours, 47 with second-class upper and 16 with second-class lower honours.
For Hamdia, the figures represent more than statistics, but a personal journey from financial hardship and selling body splash between university hostels to becoming the Best Female Graduating Student at the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah