Accra: Barely two weeks to his Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Abubakari Adam, a student from the Tolon District of the Northern Region, lost his wrist in a terrible accident. He was forced to learn how to write with his left hand while studying his books and nursing his wounds at the hospital. The gloomy situation affected his performance in his final examination, but he managed to get a passable grade which took him to high school.
According to Ghana News Agency, being the only son among 13 children, Adam stayed committed to his books and gained admission to the University for Development Studies (UDS). After several failed attempts at obtaining a scholarship, he eventually had to rely on his friends, father, and stepfathers, who were equally struggling, to take him to school. At level 200, the 20-year-old BSc Economics student was still barely surviving in school until a friend introduced him to the Daniel Ntow Obese Foundation (DNOF) Scholarship scheme.
The DNOF, committed to education, community development, and youth empowerment, has offered Adam and 25 other brilliant but needy students with similar touching stories scholarships at the foundation's maiden scholarship awards ceremony. The 26 awardees were among 351 applicants selected from eight tertiary institutions in six regions across the country. They comprise 11 females and 15 males, with 16 of them reading Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics related subjects.
Madam Elizabeth Obese, the President of the Foundation, underscored the need to support struggling but brilliant students, indicating that it was in line with their vision to empower people and communities through education, training, and medical outreaches. "We have realised that many brilliant students fall out from their educational journey because of lack of resources to support them. We have helped a number of people informally and we needed to formalise it to give way for people who are willing to support brilliant but needy students do so through us," she said.
She gave an assurance that the Foundation would give out scholarships to students every year, stressing that the initiative had come to stay. Madam Obese, however, explained that the extension of a beneficiary's scholarship would depend on their performance and character. "We are not only looking at the academic excellence of the scholars, but we are also looking at their integrity and community initiatives," she said. She advised the beneficiaries of the first set of scholarships to work hard, uphold their integrity, and behave well.
She further appealed to corporate organisations and individuals to support the cause of the foundation. "We received 351 applications, but we could only support 26 of them. I believe that if we get the support, we will be able to help more of these students," she said. Professor George K.T Oduro, the Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education, commended DNOF for instituting the scholarship scheme. "It is unique because unlike other scholarship schemes limited to communities, the DNOF scholarship cuts across the country, awarding scholarships to students from different regions, and across disciplines and institutions," he said.
He noted that the government's efforts alone were not enough to promote access, quality, and equity in schools and therefore, the support of individuals and groups like DNOF was needed to help the poor in society. Prof. Oduro expressed the government's commitment to promoting public-private partnerships and indicated the readiness of the sector ministry to create the enabling environment to support the cause of such foundations. Using his experience as a scholarship beneficiary, he encouraged the awardees to commit themselves to their studies to justify the support and contribute to national development.
Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, a former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), said the scholarship was a testament to the hard work of the awardees. "Every scholarship awarded is a seed planted that we expect to germinate and bear fruits. We are confident that it will make an impact in their lives and that they will make meaningful contributions to their country and the world." For Adam and his friends, the scholarship would alleviate the burden on their families and transform their lives to support their communities.