The Member of Parliament for Ada West, Daniel Keshi Bessey, has launched a scholarship scheme to support 1,000 students across the constituency.
The initiative, launched at Sege, is aimed at reducing the financial burden on parents and supporting students who may struggle to meet the cost of their education.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr Bessey said his personal experience as a student and his understanding of the challenges young people face motivated him to introduce the initiative.
“I have been here before, I have been a student before, and knowing the challenges that we go through when we are transitioning from this level to another encouraged me to give this support to my younger ones and their parents.”
The MP said the scheme had been expanded this year, with the number of beneficiaries increasing from 600 last year to 1,000.
He said beneficiaries would also be expected to demonstrate commitment to their education by taking their studies seriously and performing well.
“If they are able to learn, pass and do well, it will encourage us to invest more in them. That’s what we are looking for from them.”
Mr Bessey also called for stronger collaboration between parents and teachers to improve the academic performance and discipline of children.
He said parents could not leave the responsibility of raising and monitoring their children entirely to teachers, given the amount of time children spend at home.
“We have to revive the PTAs to be up and going because we can’t neglect parenthood in the hands of the teachers.”
He urged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s daily routines, including their study time, sleeping patterns and general wellbeing.
The MP further expressed concern about poverty in the Ada West area, describing it as a major challenge requiring collective efforts from government, private businesses and individuals.
He said creating more employment opportunities and supporting residents to acquire skills would be critical to improving livelihoods in the constituency.
Mr Bessey said the scholarship scheme would continue to be expanded if beneficiaries made good use of the opportunity and demonstrated improved academic performance.
