The Students’ Representative Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) this year provided scholarships for four hundred needy students under the “Ketewa Biara Nsua”(KBN) Fund.
In all an amount of GH¢88,199.09 was spent on the four hundred beneficiaries.
In an interview with the SRC Welfare Chairman, Mr. David Ayimah-Mensah, he gave the breakdown of the amount indicating that three hundred and sixty (360) beneficiaries received GH¢200.00 each totaling GH¢72,000.00 as part of their Academic Facility User Fees (AFUF). Another category of beneficiaries obtained full payments of their AFUF depending on their colleges. A total of GH¢8,329.98 was expended on the twenty students constituting that category.
According to Mr.Ayimah-Mensah, twenty students were also provided free accommodation in the various halls of residence at the fund’s expense.
Ten beneficiaries whose situations were considered as being precarious were granted free secretarial services which allow them to run photocopies, type-setting and print documents free of charge at Cybertech Innovations Enterprise aside the amounts given them.
The Welfare Chairman revealed that the KBN Fund was instituted in the 2005/2006 academic year by the SRC with support from the Vice-Chancellor and has consistently provided support to a maximum of two hundred needy students yearly.
He says that this year’s feat of supporting four hundred students is unprecedented in the fund’s history.
Documents cited by this reporter also revealed that about 78% of the beneficiaries hail from the three northern regions of Ghana; a situation which suggested that more poverty alleviation strategies be adopted nationally for the people resident in those regions.
He lamented the failure of corporate Ghana to support the initiative despite several proposals sent to the various business entities. According to him, the traditional means of funds for the KBN is a levy of GH¢5.00 paid by each student, stating emphatically that the amount that accrues from this is inadequate since there are many needy students who could have benefitted from the fund.
As to how the poverty situation affects students, the Board Chairman stated that “it is a national problem” citing Kete-Krachi (his hometown) as an example of a place where pupils and students suffer greatly just to see themselves through school.
He appreciated the SRC President, Mr. Yaw Oduro Amoah, the outgone Vice-Chancellor, Prof. K.K Adarkwa, the new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. W.O Ellis as well as the Dean of Students, Dr. Kofi Owusu Daaku for the roles they played in making the project a success.
Mr. Ayimah-Mensah hinted some pending programmes on the agenda of the SRC Welfare Board such as a workshop for students living with disabilities, sanitary inspection of canteens and a general clean-up exercise on campus.
-Bernard Buachi,
KNUST-Kumasi.
Picture of David Ayimah-Mensah, SRC Welfare Chairman
Summary by Ayimah
1. Total No. of students 400
2. Total amount GH¢87,229.98
breakdowm
3. 360 students received GHC 200 each GHc 72,000.00
4. 20 stds recd full payment of AFUF GH¢8,329.98
5. 20 stds recd free accommodation GHC 6,900.00
6. 10 stds free printing, photocopying
And all secretarial services at
Cybertech Innovations Ent.
NB the 10 are from category 3
Appreciation
1. Immediate past VC, Prof. K. K Adarkwa
2. VC, Prof. W.O Ellis
3. Dean of Students, DR. Kofi Owusu Daaku
4. SRC President, Yaw Oduro Amoah
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