Anlo Education Trust Fund awards scholarship to 10 students

Anloga (V/R), Dec. 2, GNA - The Anlo Education Trust Fund (AETF), has disbursed its first bursaries to 10 students at a ceremony in Anloga to introduce members of the Board of Trustees to the Awoamefia, Torgbui Sri III of Anlo.

The fund, which has earmarked close to GH¢10,000 for the 10 students, during the 2011/2012 academic year, targeted recipients from the Keta Municipality in its initial roll-out.

Torgbui Sri accepted the request of the Board of Trustees to serve as the Chief Patron of the Fund and said: “It has been my long held dream to support educational attainment in Anlo, thus, the coming of AETF, at this time in Anlo's history, is a fulfilment of my dream.”

He said the fishing and farming industries, which hitherto provided sustenance and helped parents support their children's education has collapsed, leaving a huge burden to be shouldered by parents.

“The challenge posed to children's education in Anlo is the result of parents' inability to earn a livelihood from their traditional sources, fishing and farming, to support their wards education,” Torgbui Sri noted.

He promised to help the Trust to raise more funds in order to increase its support for applicants and educational resources.

Presenting the bursary awards to the first recipients, Torgbui Sri expressed gratitude to corporate bodies and other individuals who have donated to the Fund, including Stanbic Bank, First African Bank, Databank and the State Insurance Company (SIC).

He later handed a cheque for GH¢4,000 to the Trust on behalf of the SIC while urging other corporate citizens and bodies to follow the gesture.

Professor V. P. YY. Gadzekpo, Chairman of the AETF, expressed the Board's gratitude to the Awoamefia and indicated that the Board will uphold accountability and transparency in the disbursement of funds.

He stressed the Boards concerted effort to ensure that monies paid into the Fund are properly managed and accounted for to stakeholders.

Prof Gadzekpo said the Board's work is essentially voluntary in the interest of Anlo and pledged the continuous support of the Trust for educational attainment in the area.

Present at the event was Keta Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Sylvester Tornyeavah whose initiative resulted in the setting up of the Anlo Education Trust Fund as well as the Presiding Member of the Assembly, Mr Richard Sefe.

Also present were Mr Vincent Kobla Ayitey, Assistant Headmaster (Academic) of Anlo Senior High who accompanied the recipients as well as a retinue of chiefs from the Anlo Traditional Area including Torgbui Zoryiku IV, Torgbui Gawu VI, Torgbui Gatsiko IV, Torgbui Ediho II, Torgbui Samlafo III as well as Torgbui Ador, Ewe Chief of North America, Canada.

Prof Gadzekpo, who is also President of the Central University College, said the Trust's bursary award, carefully planned and structured was gender sensitive in terms of the selection criteria for eligibility and has a rights-based approach which ensures that the special needs and vulnerability status of its constituents are considered during eligibility assessments.

He said with educational costs, especially, at secondary and tertiary education levels, continuing to increase faster than family incomes, the Anlo Education Trust Fund will provide increased education and skills training access to needy students with a targeted priority for the Sciences and Technology.

In addressing the issue of education in Anlo, the Trust Fund, strategically includes support for vocational and apprenticeship training in order to ensure that students who intend to go into skills training receive the necessary support. This is a departure from the focus on academic pursuits to the exclusion of equally important but often overlooked areas of knowledge acquisition and skills training that are relevant to Anlo and for that matter Ghana's socio-economic development.

Prof Gadzekpo later introduced members of the Board who were at the event to the Awoamefia including Dr Mrs Matilda Fiadzigbey (Vice-Chairman), Mr Kodzo Chapman (Secretary), Mr Ben Quarshie (Financial Secretary), Mrs Bridget Katsriku, Mr Kwami Sedanu Kwawu, and Mr Del Nyamador.

Miss Philomena Joy Kploedokpor, on behalf of the recipients thanked Anlo Education Trust Fund for the awards and pledged “we shall never let you down.”

GNA