A total of 19 students from the La municipality in Accra, have been awarded educational schorlarships worth GHC 32,000 by the La Community Bank and La Mansaamo Kpee Scholarship Scheme (LCB/LMK).
The students, made up of fifteen persons in tertiary institutions and four in senior high school were awarded the scholarship based on academic excellence and financial need.
The La Community Bank has so far sponsored 16 batches of students since the 2002/2003 academic year making a total of 163 students.
Chairman of the LCB/LMK, Rev. Dr. Benhard Yemo Quarshie, said it was unfortunate that some students in the La municipality were denied the opportunity to further their education due to financial constraints even though they achieve the highest level of academic excellence. He identified these students as future leaders in the La community.
Speaking on the criteria for selection he said the bank has a well-developed scheme including background research and a review of the students’ past results to determine brilliant but needy students.
“The scheme is targeted at children of La decent. So we send letters to the churches and clan houses in La, once the results are out including the radio stations. The letter indicates the procedure which is to come to our office, pick up the forms and submit them on a specified deadline,” he noted.
He added that: “Those who apply are those who qualify. When we take them in, we do a review of the circumstances in terms of whether the information they have provided us is valid or not together with their parents”.
He said with the government’s introduction of the free SHS policy, the bank would eventually have to scrap the support for SHS students and focus only on the tertiary students
On his part, General Manager of the La Community Bank Limited, Peter Tehova said: “As a bank, we are proud to be associated with the development of La and the future leaders of this great community. The youth deserve to be educated whether they have the financial means or not. We believe that our business in the community will not be complete if you do not empower the people through education and financial services.”
He took the opportunity to encourage the parents of the students to support the bank by keeping their accounts with the bank. He further congratulated the La Mansaamo Kpee for their bold and laudable initiative they took to support the total development of the community.
Beneficiaries included Abigail A. Annan, Ibrahim N. A. Osang, Priscilla A. Konney, Richard N.O Attoh and Robert B. Aban.
Others were Rosezabel K. Donkor, Dionne-Althea N.D. Oku, Allen Amoah Anang, Paula O. Commey, Gloria K. Odonkor, Doreen O. Totimeh and Wills Nii A. Kwao
The rest are Raphael O. Mensah, Jeffrey Y. Tetteh, Andy A. Odumang Philip Okpoti Abbans, Jacob N. A. Tagoe, Edward Adjei-Laryea and Sylvanus N. Laryea
