Panford Foundation Announces Scholarships

For Students In The Koforidua Area

*By Kwamina Panford, Cape Coast and Boston

The Panford family and friends wish to announce that starting with the 2009-2010 Academic year, they will provide scholarships to eligible secondary and university students who reside in the Koforidua Municipality. The Panford Foundation is pleased to award two scholarships this year each worth 250 new Ghana cedi to the first cohort of scholars. The first, Mr. Michael Padi Martey is an undergraduate student at Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Accra and the second is Mr. Vincent Osafo-Sakyere a second-year student at Pope John's Senior Secondary School, Koforidua, Eastern Region.

Starting with the 2010-2011 academic year, the Panford Foundation will award up to four scholarships, each worth $250 to four secondary and university students who reside within the Koforidua Municipality, are in good standing at their academic institutions and can demonstrate that their financial status qualify them for this needs-based scholarship scheme. The Panford family and friends created the Panford Foundation and Scholarship in honour of their parents-Sir Knight Nana Kwodwo Panford and Mrs. Efua Atta Panford of Saltpond and Koforidua. Mrs. Panford passed away in December 1999 and Sir Panford in July 2006. The Foundation is also being used by the Panfords and their friends to give back to their communities in Ghana.

The deadline for completing and submitting Panford Scholarship applications is the 6th of March each year (Ghana's Independence Day). Details and specific guidelines for completing applications can be obtained from: The Panford Foundation/Scholarship c/o The Cathedral Administrator Box KF20, Koforidua, Ghana Tell 081-22517/24388

The Panford family has collaborated with friends and associates in Ghana and abroad to give back to their communities. For many years, they have donated computers, printers and funds to Mathew Chapter 25, a Health Program that provides assistance in the form of free meals, counseling, job training and jobs to patients and their families in and near Koforidua. Members of the Panford family also donated funds that were used to pay hospital fees and medications for patients who could not pay on their own. Schools such as Ghana Secondary School, Pope John's Secondary School and New Juaben Secondary School have also benefitted from donated computers and printers. In the last decade both the old and new Municipal Libraries in Koforidua have received many volumes of books and magazines donated by the Panfords and their colleagues. Other beneficiaries of books donated by the Panfords since 1989 are the Balme (main) Library at the University of Ghana, Legon. and the Departments of Sociology and Political Science at Ghana's premier university. Students at Cape Coast University have also had access to books and other materials furnished by the Panfords to the Institute for Development Studies and the main University of Cape Coast Campus Library.

The Panfords have extended their philanthropic endeavors to elementary schools too. Over the years, the Panford family donated clocks, exercise books, pens and other supplies to many elementary schools in Koforidua. One of the largest donations was a 10million cedi furniture donation in 2002. Through this Special Project the Panfords used proceeds from the sale of one of their published books to purchase furniture for over 180 pupils at the Koforidua-Sorodae Catholic Elementary School (See Ghana's Daily Graphic, August 28, 2002 for details).

In the past one year the Panford Family and their associates in Boston have elevated their charitable activities. In August 2008 Mrs. Ernestina Panford, The Ghana Association of Boston and a newly-created Koforidua Library Fundraising Committee led Ghanaians in the Greater Boston area through a Kente Dance-Dinner to raise four thousand dollars. Three-thousand, five hundred dollars were used to provide reading tables, chairs, notice boards, wall shelves and book cases which facilitated the Municipal Library's relocation to its new and impressive building near the Ministries in Koforidua. The donated furniture was handed over on July 26, 2009 to the Municipal Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alex Asamoah. He commended the donors. (GNA, July 28, 2009). Some of the funds raised were also used to procure medical supplies to Gyegyanu, Central Region, Ghana.

The latest community project involving the Panford family and colleagues is another fundraising Kente Dinner/Dance scheduled for July 2010 in Waltham, MASS. This is a dinner-dance to raise funds for Damango (Ghana's Northern Region's) Main Library. The newly-formed Damango Library Fundraising Committee invites all Ghanaians and friends of Ghana/Africa, especially those in the Boston area to join us to raise funds for such a worthy cause while having lots of fun in our Kente and other Ghanaian/African regalia. The Damango Library Committee comprises: Mr and Mrs Amoah, Mr. and Mrs. Eiwuley, Mr. and Mrs, Taylor and Professor and Mrs Panford all of the Greater Boston area, Mass. Please reserve the date and watch Ghanaweb for details on this important event to give back to our dear country while we also enjoy nice, clean fun.

For details of Damango Fundraising Kente Dinner/Dance: Contact Ms. Naana Panford, npanford@aol.com

For information on Panford Foundation/Scholarship, please contact the following: Kwamina Mbra Panford, NY., Tel 718-655-4182.,email tpanford@msn.com. ...................... Stephen Ekow Panford, New York, City Tech-CUNY, NY, Tel 718-815-5564 e-mail spanford.citytech.cuny.edu and Kwamina Panford, Northeastern University, Boston, 617-373-4333, email kpanford@hotmail.com

We take this opportunity to thank each and every one who has in diverse ways assisted the Panford Family, friends and colleagues in their donation and fund-raising activities. We trust all of you will have an exciting and very successful and happy brand new 2010!

*Kwamina Panford teaches at Northeastern University, Boston. He is a Visiting Professor spending this Fall 2009 sabbatical at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Cape Coast where he and his Ghanaian colleaques are researching on the positive and negative impact of the recent oil-find in Ghana's Western Region.