Scholarships
The scholarship program was created to provide low-income students (our scholars) with the materials they need to excel in school. These materials include school uniforms, shoes pencils, paper, books, and a backpack. The scholarships also pay for one meal each day for scholars. Scholarships are funded both from our general fund and from individual sponsorships between donors in the US and scholars in Ghana. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of need, although some merit-based scholarships are also awarded each year at the YP-sponsored Awards Ceremony. The Yonso Project Scholarship Program ensures that every student has the opportunity to excel.
This year we added an additional 77 scholarships to bring the total to 100. The age range of the children who received the scholarships is from 8 to 20 both boys and girls. Although some of the scholars already have sponsors, many still need one.
Meet Some Students in Need of Sponsors:
Ruth Acheampomaa and Sarah Nimoh: Ages 7 and 11 grades 2 and 4
There were several children that we were on the fence about accepting into the scholarship program. Ruth and Sarah were not those children. In the very small village of Akrofonso, it was obvious that these girls were among the poorest. Their single mother is 39 years old and has eleven children. Their mother, Sophia, has a series of health issues. When we met with her she had just come out of surgery. Neither of the girls currently have uniforms, and they are sometimes kicked out of school because they don't have their school items, including a desk. Ruth's favorite subject is English, and she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. Sarah likes math best and wants to be a teacher.
Agyei Ernest Agyemang: Age 17, Grade 9
Most kids in Ghana want to go to school, but none of the children we interviewed showed as much desire as Ernest. In Ghana, if you can not afford to go on to high school, you are allowed to repeat the 8th grade until your family can afford it. Ernest has repeated the 8th grade three times. Instead of giving up and going to farm with them, he decided to stay in school. This is why he is 17 years old and only entering the 9th grade. Probably his good grades are a combination of his repeated effort and his maturity. He hopes to pursue a career as an Agricultural Extension Officer. His favorite subject is agriculture.
Ellen Agyei: Age 17, Grade 11
Ellen is a very smart girl that wants to learn. Her grandfather is taking care of her right now since her mother is in the western region working and her father is attending classes to become a teacher. Ellen is the first of her brothers and sisters to go on to high school. We hope that she will raise the bar so that her siblings will also go on to high school. She is seeking a degree in business and she would like to be an administrative assistant when she grows up.
Yaw Amoakohene: Age 17 Grade 11
Yaw was very anxious when he came in for the interview. He needed this scholarship very badly. His father, who is the sole provider in his family, has eight children that he cares for. This was no problem a couple years ago, since he is a very able-bodied man and had a large coco plantation to work on. However, recently his coco farm burnt to the ground. Yaw is a very bright student. He does very well in school and is looking to become an Agricultural Officer to help people like his father (farmers) in the future.
Philip Kusi: Age 17 Grade 11
Philip originally was not going to get a scholarship because on his application it said that his father was a driver. Taxi drivers are one of the few good paying jobs in the rural villages. People don't own their own cars, so they are forced to rely on taxi drivers to get them to and from market areas. However, a teacher at one of the high schools informed our country director, Kwabena Danso, that Philip was having trouble paying his school fees because his father was not able to work. We found out that his father got in a car collision a couple years before and could not use his right arm at all. Philip loves school and is very good in class, always ranking between first and ninth place, depending on the class. He is very good in mathematics and wants to be a bank manager.
Ernest Atta Agyei and Ernestina Ataa Agyeiwaa: Age 15, Grades 9 and 10
This family had to make a decision between Ernest and Ernestina. They let Ernest got to go to school while Ernestina had to stay home. Ernestina then had the choice of farming with her family or repeating the 8th grade. She chose to stay in school. Because of their Yonso Project Scholarship, now both of them will be able to attend school without being a burden on their parents.
Both of them like school. Ernest is in the business section of his high school. He wants to be a bank manager when he is done. Ernestina is one of the top students in her class. She likes science best and would like to be a nurse when she is done with school.
Kwadwo Ayibo and Ama Agyekumwaa: Ages 8 and 12, Grades 2 and 5
Kwadwo and Ama are brother and sister, but they have another six brothers and sisters at home. Their mother and father are farmers in the village of Kyekyewere (2 miles from Yonso). Being farmers, they don't bring in a lot for the family and often times the children are hungry. Ama especially could do nothing but smile during the entire interview. They both like school and do well. Kwadwo is fourth out of 40 in his class. His favorite subject is English and he wants to be a soldier when he grows up. Ama loves math the most and wants to be a nurse when she's finished with school. No one in the family has gone on to high school.
Priscilla Ofori: Age 15, Grade 8
Priscilla works very hard to be in school. She is not one to let the hardships of a farmer's life get to her. In her interview, we found out that her family does not have enough money to pay for her school items, nor do they have anything to pay for the occasional PTA dues. However, Priscilla has not let this come in the way of her education. Every Thursday she goes to the market to sell rice in order to have enough money to pay for the things she needs at school. Her teacher wrote on her form that she faces problems because she, "Does not take part in some class work, especially on Thursday." With her Yonso Project Scholarship, she will now be able to be in school every day of the week and not worry that some things aren't covered. She does very well in school considering that she has missed so much. She ranks 6 out of 35. Her favorite subject is math, and she wants to be a bank manager when she grows up. When I asked her why a bank manager, she said, "They always have money."
Samuel Owusu Ansah: Age 11 Grade 5
Accepting Samuel as a Yonso Project Scholar was both difficult and easy for us. If you look at his current situation, it seems fine, even better than most kids. His uncle takes care of him and his older brother. The older brother is attending high school and is a boarding student, so Samuel is the only one that lives in the house with the uncle. The uncle works hard to pay for both Samuel's fees and the older brothers high school and boarding fees. So, it would appear that this family is doing fine. But, when we heard more of the story, it became obvious that the uncle was doing so much more for the two boys. Samuel's uncle is only 26 years old and was pursuing a college education when Samuel's parents abandoned both Samuel and his brother. The uncle stopped going to college and moved back to the rural village to take on the role of father. He has been working as a farmer to provide for the family he didn't intend to have yet. So, really, Samuel would be in a very dire situation if it hadn't been for the good grace of his uncle. We decided to reward both Samuel, for struggling through a difficult life, and his uncle, for taking on such a great responsibility, by awarding Samuel a scholarship. Samuel does very well in school, ranking first in his class of 32 kids.
Previous Year Scholars:
Adu Kwadwo: 8yrs old Yonso D/A Primary BS 2
Adu sells brroms that his mother makes in the local market. His favorite subject is math and hopes to someday be a mason.
Abigail Owusu Ansah: 9yrs old, Appah Methodist Primary, BS 2
Abigail lives with her mother and is one of six children. Before the Yonso Project Scholarship she only had one book for school (she needed six). On her application for this scholarship Abigail listed the reasons why she needed it. "I found it difficult to buy books. I need scholarship because sometimes I use house dress to go to school. Usually I go to school with an empty stomach."
Yeboah Kwabena: 11yrs old, Yonso D/A Primary, BS 3
He is one of five siblings. The clothes that he wears are ripped and torn and he does not have any new ones to wear to school.Yeboah's favorite subject is agriculture. His goal is to someday become a teacher.
U.G.Dankwah: 12yrs old, Yonso D/A Primary, BS 2
Dankwah is disabled and can hardly walk. His mother has to get food on credit most of the time just to get by. He is a talker and likes to mingle with his schoolmates. Most of the time he cannot afford all of the proper books for school. This scholarship will provide all of the books Dankwah needs.
Emmanuel Agyei Sarpong: 14yrs old, Kyekyewere D/A JSS, JSS 1
Emmanuel is the oldest of three brothers and sisters and must regularly care for them. His mother said that without this scholarship she would have to take Emmanuel out of school to work on the farm. Depsite all of his hardships, Emmanuel is third in his class and has an ambition to go to high school.
Kwame Yeboah Sonanze: 15yrs old, Kyekyewere D/A JSS, JSS 2
Kwame's feet and hands do not operate correctly and have grown in the wrong direction. He has had four surgeries which have put his mother in a lot of debt with the bank. He wants to become a bank manager or a sports presenter.
Venice Owusu: 15yrs old, Appah Methodist Primary, BS 6
Venice lives with her grandmother because her mother must work in Kumasi washing dishes and sends the equivalent of $1.00 to help with feeding and school costs, but this is very irregular. She is the oldest of the children and would be the first to go to high school. Her favorite subject is Enlgish and she wants to be a nurse.
John Awuah Brobbey: 16yrs old, Yonso D/A JSS, JSS 3
His two oldest siblings are in college and that is where the bulk of the money goes. He speaks fluent English. John refused to go to learn to trade when his parents asked him to give up school. He now lives with his aunt. John wants to be a teacher when he is finished with school. He would be the first in his family to go to high school.
Adrian Brian Kofi Appiah: 16yrs old, Simms Secondary Community School, SSS
Brian is a boarding student at the secondary school. His father does not have enough money for school needs and only enough for farming needs. He couls not afford his books and his grades suffered because of it. The Yons Project now pays for his school needs.
Gyaama Philipa: 17yrs old Adu-Gyamfi Secondary School, SSS 2
Philipa's mother has to take out loans for him to go to high school. She walks one and a half hours to school. She only has two of the six textbooks and twelve of the twenty excercise books needed. Her favorite class is governement and one day hopes to be a radio presenter.
Osman Mohammed: 19yrs old, Kyekyewere D/A JSS, JSS 2
Osman is in 8th grade. He is old for his grade because his parents died many years ago and he was not able to start school on time. He is now cared for by his brother who has his own family and cannot afford to properly fund his Osman's schooling. He is always at the top of his class and hopes to be the first in his family to go to high school.
Appau Paul: 20yrs old, Bonwire Secondary Technical School, SSS 1
Appau is one of four siblings. His mother makes money by collecting firewood and making brooms. He raised money originally by mowing lawns with a machete and harvesting co-co nuts. Without this scholarship he would have to drop out. Appau has a great ambition to break the cycle of children not finishing school in his family. He wants to be a doctor or a soldier.
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