A foundation has been launched in honour of the memory of the late Ishmael Ashitey, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister.
His family launched the foundation named “Honourable Ishmael Ashitey Foundation” (HIAF) aimed at supporting needy, but brilliant children from Tema Manhean at the public tertiary institutions.
Launching the foundation, Shiba Ashitey, daughter of the late former Greater Accra Regional Minister, explained that the academic excellence scholarship scheme was created to reflect the love their dad had for learning.
Ms. Ashitey said it was to nurture and grow the potential within the youth of Tema Manhean and to break down the financial barriers that made university seems unattainable to many.
She mentioned that the GHS5,000 scholarship would be awarded each year to three qualified applicants based on eligibility criteria, and it would be renewed annually for four years so long as the beneficiary remained a full-time student and maintained a Grade Point Average of 3.0.
Giving details on mode of application, she disclosed that applications for the scholarship would be opened from November 01 to February 01, 2022.
She implored applicants to review their application carefully to become familiar with the requirements.
Ms Ashitey said they would also offer mentorship to each scholar to guide them through their college experience and beyond, “we know that being a first-generation college student can be a difficult and isolating experience.
“Our mentorship programme exists to give our scholars the support system and confidence necessary to thrive in their educational pursuits.”
She expressed the hope that the scholarship would become an open door to new opportunities for the youth of Tema Manhean as a seed planted and over time would benefit the entire community.
For his part, Jacob Obuobi, Assistant Head Teacher in charge of Academics, Tema Manhean Senior High Technical, said it was painful to see brilliant and promising young people fall off the educational ladder due to financial issues.
Mr. Obuobi expressed gratitude to the family of the late minister for bringing hope to such brilliant but needy persons in Tema Manhean.
By Vincent Kubi