Omanghana
The Municipal Chief Executive for Suhum, Lydia Sarah Ohenewaa, has partnered with the SOL Foundation to provide essential boarding supplies and cash rewards to more than 650 Basic Education Certificate Examination graduates preparing to enter senior high school.
The presentation, held at the Suhum Main Lorry Station, was intended to reduce the financial pressure on parents and guardians purchasing items required under senior high school prospectuses.
Each beneficiary received basic educational and boarding supplies, including a metal trunk, student mattress, rubber bucket and exercise books. The package is expected to help students begin their secondary education with the necessary materials.
Candidates who distinguished themselves by obtaining single-digit aggregates in the BECE were also recognised during the event. They received gift hampers and cash awards ranging from GH¢800 to GH¢1,000 in recognition of their academic performance.
The programme was initially expected to support 500 students, but the number was increased to 650 after families from surrounding rural communities appealed for assistance. The latest intervention represents a significant expansion from the 350 students who benefited from the initiative in the previous year.
To ensure the programme continues, Ohenewaa announced the establishment of a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding with the SOL Foundation. The agreement is expected to sustain annual educational assistance for underprivileged students transitioning from basic schools to second-cycle institutions across the municipality.
The Suhumhene, Osabarima Ayeh Kofi Opare, commended the initiative and described it as an important milestone for the municipality. He noted that providing prospectus items directly to graduating basic school students had established a new benchmark for social intervention in Suhum.
Addressing parents and students, Ohenewaa called on businesses, community leaders, charitable organisations and other stakeholders to complement government resources by supporting brilliant but needy students.
She stressed that financial hardship should not prevent academically capable children from continuing their education and encouraged beneficiaries to make good use of the assistance by remaining disciplined and committed to their studies.
Source: Omanghana
