Pecan Energies has awarded full scholarships worth GH¢5,5million to 70 students to pursue various courses at tertiary institutions across the country for the 2023/24 academic year. The Pecan Inspire Scholarship Program (PISP) targets brilliant students from low-income households. The addition of 70 new students brings the total number of beneficiaries so far to 141.
The scholarship covers full tuition and lodging fees, one laptop for academic work, a semester stipend, and student development programs, including career and skills training. It also includes mentoring and academic advising. “Our commitment at Pecan Energies to investing in education as a tool to unlocking prosperity remains unflinching. “We have new owners in Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) who share this commitment and are ready to make the necessary investments so more young people can get the skills they need to contribute to Ghana’s economic development.
“We will continue to prioritise investments in building capacity in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). “We do this knowing full well that we are yet to commence oil production. While we make good progress towards first oil, we remain acutely aware that the education of these brilliant young men and women cannot wait,” said Kadijah Amoah, CEO of Pecan Energies Ghana Limited. The PISP remains the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative for Pecan Energies and its license partners: Lukoil Overseas Ghana Tano Limited, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and Fueltrade Limited.
It is designed to help improve access to tertiary education for Ghanaians. It replaced the Pecan Energies Senior High School Scholarship program, which allowed more than a thousand high school students to attend a school of their choice, fully funded. At least 40% of the beneficiaries selected for the 2023/2024 academic year are female, including Jennifer Apingu, whose powerfully compelling story went viral last year.
She worked as a head porter (Kayayo) to fund her Senior High School education. Despite representing her school in the prestigious National Science and Maths Quiz and her excellent grades, she was forced to work in a “drinking spot” in Navrongo in Ghana’s Upper East Region with little hope of pursuing her dream of becoming a pharmacist.
“I am exceedingly happy I can now pursue my dream. Pecan Energies has paid my fees, and I am now looking forward to working hard to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Health and Allied Sciences,” noted Jennifer. The PISP reserves at least 80% of places for beneficiaries from coastal districts of the Western Region, with the rest reserved for other regions of Ghana. Over 85% of beneficiaries are studying various STEM-related programs including two physically challenged students.
Source: myjoyonline.com