The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) has awarded full scholarships amounting to GH¢460, 000 to 45 exceptional yet underprivileged female students at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), located in Tarkwa, Western Region.
These awards are part of the flagship Women from Mining Communities (WomCoM) scholarship initiative, which was launched in June 2024, and represent MIIF’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
This year, the scholarship programme benefited 43 undergraduate students and two postgraduate students.
Each undergraduate recipient received GH¢10, 000, while the postgraduate students were granted GH¢15, 000, which covers tuition, accommodation, and other vital academic expenses.
The initiative aims to empower academically talented young women from Ghana’s mining communities to pursue education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as well as mining-related fields.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony held here on Tuesday, the Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Mrs Justina Nelson, whose speech was delivered by a board member and Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South-East, Mr Yakubu Mohammed, reiterated the Fund’s dedication to promoting gender equity within the extractive sector.
“Our objective is not merely to provide partial assistance; we aim to create a significant impact. Beyond financial aid, we are alleviating burdens, elevating aspirations, and transforming narratives in communities that have frequently been overlooked,” she stated.
Mrs Nelson commended the collaboration with UMaT under the guidance of Vice Chancellor, Prof. Richard Amankwah, and expressed her appreciation to the steering committee for their professionalism and integrity in overseeing the process since its inception last year.
She also revealed plans to extend the programme to include Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of MIIF’s strategy to broaden the scope and influence of the scholarship programme, thereby benefiting many more women from mining communities.
She expressed hope that Corporate Ghana would collaborate with the fund as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
“This year’s initiative was heavily supported by OmniBSIC Bank, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, First Atlantic Bank, First Bank, and Procus Ghana Limited (makers of Kivo products),” she outlined.
She further stated that their contributions marked a new phase of collaboration in advancing education and gender equity in Ghana.
The Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Prof. Richard Amankwah, expressed his belief that the WomCom engagement had the potential to transform the lives of young female students at the university.
UMaT, he assured, would make a deliberate effort to include engineering and technology students in its programmes and provide them with practical skills, ensuring they are prepared for the workforce.
Prof. Amankwah noted that occasionally students arrive on campus facing financial difficulties and may defer their programmes after the initial two weeks due to an inability to pay even half of the required registration fees.
“These are our exceptional students, highly intelligent young women from mining communities, studying mining engineering, logistics and transport, computing, and cybersecurity. I am confident that these young women will successfully complete their programmes without any financial strain,” he explained.
The Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Mr Issah Taylor, underlined that “The wealth of our land must uplift our people, and the brilliance of our daughters must never be overshadowed by circumstances. Through this programme, we have chosen to invest in what yields greater returns: education by empowering young women in STEM.”
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI
BOYE, TARKWA
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