ASA Savings and Loans has supported 50 students in two districts with educational assistance to help needy but brilliant children continue their education.
The initiative formed part of the savings and loans company’s corporate social responsibility activities and was aimed at easing the financial burden on parents who struggled to meet the cost of their children’s education.
The support covered 25 students in the Ga East area, with beneficiaries drawn from communities including Taifa, Kwabenya and Dome. Some of the beneficiaries are pursuing tertiary education, while others are preparing to enter senior high school.
Supporting parents
The Branch Manager of ASA Savings and Loans, Taifa Branch, Patricia Effia Boafoa Ofori, said the programme was designed to support customers whose children were performing well academically but whose financial circumstances made it difficult to meet their educational needs.
She said some parents had been unable to buy items required for their children to enter SHS after completing junior high school, forcing some to consider delaying their children’s education.
“This support gives parents hope that they can send their children back to school. We selected brilliant children whose parents need financial assistance to support their education,” she said.
The IT Coordinator at the Ga East Municipal Education Directorate, Seth Oko, said the assistance would help reduce the financial pressure on parents as they prepared their children for secondary education.
He said the cost of sending children to SHS had become a challenge for some families and expressed the hope that beneficiaries would perform well in school.
Education support
Mr Oko said partnerships between educational authorities and private organisations were important in supporting students who faced financial difficulties.
He said the assistance would give beneficiaries an opportunity to continue their education without some of the financial pressures faced by their families.
A Level 100 student and beneficiary, Joshua Aboagye, said the support would help students whose parents might not have enough money to meet their educational needs.
“Most parents may not have the funds to cater for their children at this time, so this support helps us a lot,” he said.
The Area Manager of ASA Savings and Loans, La-Paz Area, Harriet Quaye, said the programme was also intended to encourage mothers to take greater interest in their children’s education.
She said the support was not only financial but also encouragement to parents to push their children to take their education seriously.
“We are not just giving the mothers money to support their children. We are also encouraging them to push their children to school and make sure they take their education seriously,” she said.
Ms Quaye said ASA Savings and Loans had implemented similar education support programmes in previous years and would continue to support students through its branches.
She said the company expected the initiative to encourage more parents to invest in their children’s education and help beneficiaries make good use of the opportunity.
