When we set out in 2007 to help improve the living conditions of the rural poor, one of our main objectives was to help poor children have access to quality education. I knew as a poor child myself that there were several children in rural communities who had great potentials of reaching the sky so far as their academic life was concerned but many of them were on the bleak of dropping out of school due to poverty. Their parents lived on less than $3 a day and thus the farthest they would be able to go was the Junior High School Level after which they would have to learn a trade or stay in the rural area and do subsistence farming. Many people in Ghana have stereotyped rural children as being dumb but the Yonso Project’s quest was to proof this assumption as wrong.
Today, we are very proud to let the world know that, through the Yonso Project scholarship program several of the kids are making it to the top. Today, some of our students are in the Country’s universities. Thanks to our sponsors who have made this achievement possible. One of such students is Master Bernard Sarpong. Bernard has his parents as peasant farmers who are based in the western region but all hail from Yonso. Bernard even as brilliant as he is did not have it easy as a result of his background. Bernard has six other siblings. In 2008, Bernard became a Yonso Project scholarship Beneficiary after going through the application process. He completed the Yonso Junior High School in 2009 where obtained aggregate six from that rural school which means obtained grade 1 in more than six subjects out of eight subjects he studied at the Junior High School Level. He was admitted into the Kumasi Anglican Senior High School where he read science as a course and studied physics, biology, chemistry and Elective mathematics as his course alongside English, Core mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies. Bernard made us proud again by obtaining seven Grade A’s and one Grade B’ in the just ended West African Senior High School Certificate Examination. He might be our first medical school student. Another student who has made us proud is Master Stephen Addo Kwakwa who also made five Grade A’s and three Grade B’. He studied Science and did the same subjects as Bernard from the Adisadel College. Since inception of the program, we have also had several of our students entered into various universities, Teacher training and Nurses Training Colleges.
Mention can be made of Philipa Manu who is currently studying at the Premier Nurses College. Ohene Nyantakyi Daniel and Osei Emmanuel Junior are also studying at the Atebubu Teacher Training and Mampong Technical Training colleges to become Teachers. Osman Mohammed have also gained admission into the University For Development Studies where he is going to pursue Bachelor of Education in Mathematical Science. George Amofa is also studying at the University of Education Winneba. One common feature among these students is the fact that despite all their brilliancy and intelligence, they were on the blink of losing their education had it not been the support they had. I will want to mention that these achievements would not have happened without the support our dear supporters and sponsors who part away their money every year to support such people in rural Ghana. One successful story is that we have been recording between 80% – 90% pass rate of our scholars in Senior High Schools for the past three years. God has really blessed our the work of the Yonso Project. Another time, I will also tell you about the impact we have been making in other programs such as microfinance and Bamboo Bicycles. Stay Tuned.