From palm wine tapping and galamsey’ to becoming a lawyer

Stephen Koomson, driven by his ambition to become a lawyer, faced two years when financial constraints seemed to dim his dream.
Despite achieving impressive grades of 5As and 3Bs in various subjects during the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the talented 21-year-old’s education was disrupted because of a lack of financial support.

Koomson turned to unconventional means, such as palm wine tapping and engaging in illegal mining, commonly known as galmasey, to secure funds for his education.

However, his life drastically changed when his story gained widespread attention on social media. Upon learning about his situation, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) generously offered him a full educational scholarship to pursue a Law degree at the University of Ghana in the upcoming academic year. During an interaction, Dr. Dominic Eduah, the Executive Director of the GNPC, acknowledged the media’s significant role in highlighting crucial social issues like Koomson’s, which ultimately granted him a second chance to pursue his dreams.
“The revelation of his story is a testament to the media’s power in shedding light on vital societal matters like this. ‘Social media for good’ is an agenda we should all strive to promote. I commend Ameyaw Debrah for bringing attention to young Koomson’s plight, which has completely transformed his educational prospects,” expressed Dr. Dominic Eduah.
Dr. Eduah reiterated the GNPC Foundation’s unwavering commitment to supporting the country’s human capital development through education and training.

“As a Foundation, we will continue our support for enhancing Ghanaian capacities through education and training,” he assured.

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Source: Omanghana.com