The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Kassena Nankana West District, Stephen Aeke Akurugo, has announced plans to establish an educational fund to provide opportunities for needy but brilliant children to access higher education.
According to the DCE, the initiative has become necessary because he views education as a powerful tool for economic development and for improving the quality of life of people in the district.
Apart from supporting needy but brilliant students, the fund, when established, will also provide financial assistance and sponsorship opportunities for workers in the district who wish to pursue critical academic and professional programmes relevant to effective service delivery.
The Kassena Nankana West District, which was established in 2008, covers 812 square kilometres and, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, has a population of 90,735.
Despite being a border district, the local economy relies heavily on farming, while the district continues to face both human resource and infrastructural challenges.
To help bridge the human resource gap, the DCE, during the Assembly’s First Ordinary Meeting, announced the establishment of the educational fund to support needy but brilliant students.
“Education remains one of the most powerful tools for economic development and improving the quality of life of our people. It is in recognition of this that the District Assembly, under my leadership, intends to establish a District Educational Fund aimed at supporting needy but brilliant students within the district to pursue higher education.” He disclosed.
Mr. Akurugo disclosed that the fund will be financed through 20 percent of the Assembly’s internally generated funds, personal contributions from his salary as DCE, and support from benevolent individuals and organizations. “The Fund will also provide financial assistance and sponsorship opportunities for workers of the district who seek to pursue academic and professional programmes that are critical and relevant to the effective delivery of services within the district. This initiative aims to improve the skills and knowledge of workers in the district and enhance their performance and productivity.”
