The Francis Faki Amanquah Foundation (FFAF), an international Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) has presented scholarship packages to six computer science and computer engineering students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The presentation is the second from the Foundation whose first award of such was to five (5)female students from the same University around same time last year, 2024.

Speaking succinctly during the presentation at KNUST last Friday, Mrs Mercy Bruce-Amanquah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FFAF, said the vision of the Foundation is to increase access to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for Ghanaian women.

“We are here today to present scholarship awards comprising tuition, accommodation, stipends and laptops to six deserving young women studying computer science and computer engineering and this is to encourage them to chart a path to change the world with the skills they acquire here at KNUST having been selected based on their performances over the past year”, the CEO stated.

Background:

Giving a background, Mrs Bruce-Amanquah said the FFAF Foundation was set up in honour of her late husband, Mr Francis Faki Amanquah, an alumnus of KNUST who had an unbridled passion for education, especially that of girls and women.

The Foundation, she noted having researched found out that 28% of women occupied STEM workforce globally.

In Ghana, Mrs Bruce-Amanquah said only 30% of the women were into STEM jobs and this was because they do not have role models in these fields to look up to.

As a result, she noted that the Foundation decided to help in that course.

She said apart from the financial assistance provided together with laptops to the first cohort and the second cohort, the FFAF would assign mentors who will engage the beneficiaries and encourage them during their journey on the programme.

Pro Vice-Chancellor:

Professor David Asamoah, the Pro Vice-Chancellor at KNUST addressing the FFAF Foundation Members and the Faculty of Computer Science and Computer Engineering thanked the NGO for the gesture.

He noted that such noble enterprises such as what FFAF was engaged in contributes to achieving better outcomes in the education of students.

Prof Asamoah therefore charged the beneficiaries to give off their best so that the Foundation would still find it expedient to continue with the program it has with the International Programmes Office for others to also benefit from same.

Beneficiaries:

Speaking to this reporter, Christabel Benewaah, a level 200 student computer science student thanked the FFAF Foundation for the initiative.

This support, she said would undoubtedly encourage them to study hard and make their marks.

On her part, Isabel Naa Norkor Noye said the scholarship package had come at a time she needed it the most.

She therefore commended the Foundation for the gesture and promised to make use of same to churn out good academic outcomes.

Other beneficiaries such as Delali Mina Torgah, Khadija Ndaiya Kamil, Ikhlas Adeola Abdul-Sattar and Ampem Kobi Afriyie also thanked the FFAF Foundation for creating an opportunity for them to make their lives count while pursuing their programmes at KNUST.

Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi