Beneficiaries of Mastercard, KNUST, handover six-unit classroom to Wimoase
Beneficiaries of the Mastercard Foundation's international scholarships programme, KNUST chapter, have renovated and handed over a six-unit classroom block at Agona Wiamoase in the Sekyere South District of the Ashanti Region.
The renovation of the dilapidated Wiamoase Salvation Army Primary B School, known as the "death trap" followed a needs assessment by the brilliant but needy students as a way of giving back to society.
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They also furnished each of the classrooms with modern dual desks to mark the "Scholars' International Day Service" held worldwide by beneficiaries.
Each of the 750 students donated GHC125.00 with support from the Mastercard office, KNUST, to raise a total amount of GHS125,000.00 to execute the project.
International Day
The Scholars' International Day of Service is a day marked globally to take time to give back to their communities.
This year is the seventh since the inception of the programme.
Previously, the KNUST chapter had undertaken projects including the commissioning of a mechanised borehole at Asakraka Community and a donation of hospital equipment to the Ejisu Hospital.
VC
The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof (Mrs) Rita Akosua Dickson, challenged the pupils of the Wiamoase school to take advantage of the government's free SHS programme by studying hard to qualify for the university and apply for the scholarship programme.
He said the intake of beneficiaries would increase from 250 to 300 - 70 per cent of which will be women.
Arrangement
Per the scholarship programme, 70 per cent of beneficiaries will have to be women, 20 per cent international students, 10 per cent people living with disabilities and out of the 10 per cent, 25 per cent of them would have to be displaced (refugees) both external and internal.
Prof (Mrs) Dickson said the selection process was fair, devoid of discrimination with a key focus on brilliant but needy students.
The VC said KNUST was aspiring to be among the best top five universities in the world.
The Lead for Mastercard Scholars programme, KNUST, Prof. Kofi Owusu-Daaku, said the programme runs till 2030 with the last intake to be in 2027.
He said the programme has helped transform the lives of the beneficiaries who are contributing towards reshaping their communities.
Mastercard
The Mastercard Foundation is an international non-governmental organisation established in 2006.
The organisation, which is based in Toronto, Canada, has supported work in 49 countries.
In 2018, Mastercard Foundation shifted to a specific focus on Africa, through its Young Africa Works strategy.