Victory Bible Church awards scholarships to 104 students
The Victory Bible Church International (VBCI) has awarded a GH¢107, 000 scholarship package to 104 students under its scholarship scheme.
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The amount is to cater for the tuition and accommodation fees of the beneficiaries from senior high schools and tertiary institutions.
Projected to absorb about 100 new students every academic year for the next five years, the scheme seeks to raise GH¢1,000,000 to help such beneficiaries.
Since its inception in 2005, 244 brilliant needy students have benefited from the scheme to pursue courses in various institutions across the country.
Responsibilities of the church
Speaking at the relaunch of the scholarship scheme last Saturday in Accra, the Minister of Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, said the initiative taken by the church was welcoming, and urged all churches in the country to emulate the gesture to complement the efforts of the government.
She said while the government was doing its best to educate the citizenry, it was the responsibility of bodies such as churches to also complement the government’s efforts.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang charged the church to play its role by restoring society to itself, adding that churches must ensure that all their members lived in good conditions.
Aside satisfying the spiritual needs of the church, the education minister entreated the church to ensure that its members were properly and adequately educated.
She advised the beneficiaries to impart to others the knowledge they would receive at the end of their studies.
Why the scheme
Outlining the reason for the awards scheme, the Presiding Bishop of the VBCI, Bishop N. A. Tackie-Yarboi, said the church’s decision to institute the scheme was informed by the fact that most people in society had no one to help them in their education, even though they were brilliant.
For this reason, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi stated that the scheme was instituted eight years ago to assist brilliant needy students to further their education without hindrances.
Underscoring the importance of education to the society, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi pointed out that education was one of the important foundations necessary for human development.
The presiding bishop added that education was key in personal and societal advancement and transformation.
The founder of the Salt and Light Ministry, Dr Joyce Aryee, admonished the beneficiaries to go beyond the certificates they received in schools and develop initiatives that could generate money for them.
She further charged students to apply the knowledge they acquired in schools, adding, “you must break away from the bond of dependence when you complete school. Stop demanding your responsibilities from the government. You must develop your own initiatives and generate income for yourselves.”