Yendi, Northern Region, Ghana//-The Member of Parliament (MP) for Yendi Constituency in the Northern Region, Abdul Fatawu Alhassan Jofa Esq., has deepened his commitment to the quality education of young people in the constituency.
To this end, he has donated mattresses and chop boxes to 150 qualified SHS 1 students. This historic donation benefited Junior High Schools across the Yendi Constituency.
Speaking at the donation ceremony held at the Yendi Community Centre on Saturday, 19 September, Mr Jofa explained that the initiative is aimed at supporting the students as they transition from basic education to Senior High School and helping to reduce the financial burden on their families.
In his words: “Today is not simply about giving out mattresses and chop boxes. It is about supporting our children at a critical stage of their educational journey.
For many families, the transition from JHS to SHS comes with significant financial demands— school materials, feeding, accommodation and other basic necessities”.
Mr Jofa added his responsibility as their Member of Parliament includes supporting initiatives that help remove some of these barriers so that their young people can concentrate on their education.
The mattresses, the MP noted would provide the beneficiary students with a place to rest, while the chop boxes would protect their provisions and others from being stolen.
Congratulations
He used the occasion to congratulate all the beneficiaries, saying: “Your success in the Basic Education Certificate Examination is a testament to your hard work, the dedication of your teachers, and the sacrifices made by your parents and guardians”.
To the 150 beneficiaries receiving support today, Mr Jofa wished them every success as they begin their SHS journey.
Advice
Study hard. Stay disciplined. Respect others. Believe in yourselves. And make Yendi proud, he stated. “My dear students, today you are receiving these items because you have worked hard. But I want you to remember something: this is only the beginning”.
The most important thing you are taking with you to SHS is your determination to succeed. When you get to school, respect your teachers. Respect your colleagues. Take your studies seriously, Mr Jofa advised.
He continued: “Avoid distractions and make good use of the opportunities that have been given to you. Some of you may come from families that cannot afford many of the things your colleagues have. Do not allow that to define your future”.
“Your background is not a limitation on what you can become. I expect that in the years ahead, some of you will become doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, agriculturalists, researchers and leaders in various fields.
And when you succeed, remember where you started. To the parents and guardians, I congratulate you as well”.
Your children could not have reached this point without your sacrifices. I encourage you to continue supporting them emotionally, morally and, as much as your circumstances permit, financially, the lawmaker in Ghana’s Parliament added.
Appreciations
The parents and beneficiary students expressed appreciation to the Yendi MP for his support, saying the items would go a long way to ease the financial pressure on their families. The students also pledged to put the resources to good use.
What has been achieved so far
“Earlier this year, we provided mathematics sets to more than 2,600 BECE candidates across the constituency. We recognised that even something as simple as a mathematics set could make a difference during an examination.
We also provided meals for students from communities outside Yendi who were accommodated in Yendi and Gbungbalga to write their BECE examinations”, Mr Jofa recounted at the well-attended event.
He explained that they did this because where a child comes from should not determine the quality of support that child receives in pursuing education.
Last year, the MP also implemented the Nandanbiya Educational Scholarship, through which more than GH¢120,000 was presented to 120 students to support their education.
These interventions reflect a simple principle: when they invest in education, they invest in the future of Yendi.
He was emphatic that their commitment is not limited to scholarships and educational materials.
We must also create the physical environment in which teaching and learning can take place effectively, according to him.
They have therefore supported the renovation of the Bunbon Primary School, as well as the renovation of the Yendi GES District Director’s Office.
The MP has also lobbied for and facilitated five major projects at St. Vincent College of Education through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
Currently, work is also progressing on a six-unit classroom block and a six-unit teachers’ bungalow for the Yendi College of Health Training School, Mr Jofa added.
The projects, he noted, are approaching completion and would soon be ready for commissioning. “These projects are important because the development of education requires investment at every level—from the basic school to teacher education and professional training”.
Gender inclusion
“We must also ensure that our educational interventions promote gender inclusion. We have therefore adopted the principle that among the three best-performing students, at least one should be female. This is not about lowering standards”.
Rather, it is about ensuring that the constituency’s girls are recognised and encouraged to compete, excel and take their rightful place in education and leadership.
The young girls of Yendi must know that no educational field, profession, or leadership position is beyond their reach.
The Yendi MP underscored that education is a partnership between the home, the school, the community and institutions of leadership.
Mr Jofa therefore appealed to traditional leaders, opinion leaders, teachers, parents, religious leaders and all stakeholders in Yendi to continue working together to promote education.
As he put it: “The development of our constituency cannot be separated from the development of our human capital”.
Roads, buildings and other infrastructure are important, but the most enduring investment we can make is in our children and young people, he admonished.
“Let us therefore continue to encourage every child to remain in school, support our teachers, promote girls’ education and create opportunities for young people to develop their talents”.
