21-year-old fuel attendant to study chemical engineering at KNUST with GNPC sponsorship

He is a graduate from Bepowase, a farming community near Asuoyaa in Akuapem North Municipality in Eastern region working as fuel attendant because he could not further his education at University due to financial challenges.

He will now pursue Chemical Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) beginning 2023/2024 academic year.

The processes were finalized when Mr. Dominic Eduah and his team from GNPC Foundation and the student held a meeting at the office of Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice Chancellor of KNUST today Tuesday July 11, 2023.

The Vice Chancellor of KNUST Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson after listening to the story of the young Benjamin gave him a hug and congratulated him for securing admission into KNUST for the next academic year.

Darko Benjamin, a science student, completed Presbyterian Senior High School-Legon in 2021.

He had grade “A” in Mathematics, English, Integrated science, Social studies and Elective Mathematics.

He also had grade B2 in Biology and B3 in chemistry and Physics.

The former student of Mile-50 M/A Basic School in New Juaben South made aggregate 09 in Basic Education Certificate Examination in 2018.

Despite demonstrating academic excellence, Darko Benjamin’s wish of pursuing any medical science related program at the University was impaired by poverty.

Darko was compelled to work as a fuel attendant at Kumasi with the hope of making some savings to pursue his academic dreams in future.

His father, Kwabena Gyewu, a farmer and tailor said despite his commitment to supporting his brilliant son’s education, his income is nothing to write home about to pay for university fees.

Dr. Dominic Duah, Executive director of GNPC Foundation commended GHOne TV for prioritizing the educational needs of the brilliant SHS graduate for GNPC’s attention.

“I want to say a big thank you to GHone TV for focusing on some of these stories. It really got to me so immediately we at GNPC Foundation took it up. We did the need assessment by engaging the young man personally and we realized that it was a true story. Just as we were creating community champions we added him to the list and engaged KNUST and the analysis was done and he has now been given pre-admission to read Chemical Engineering program. This will transform him from a fuel Attendant to Chemical Engineer. We have a lot of these stories in the GMPC foundation and I’m sure it is going to add up. Our engagement has so far been going well with the Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor. They have all agreed and stamp that he is supposed to start lectures next academic year. We will still engage the young man and ensure that he doesn’t move away to remain focused for next academic year’’ he assured.

Vice Chancellor of KNUST Prof- Rita Akosua Dickson while sharing the concerns of brilliant but needy students on campus commended GNPC for the support the young SHS graduate to pursue his dream career.

“I have a lot of brilliant but needy students on campus who are really struggling. KNUST management ate doing our very best to support us with feeding, laptops with support of our sponsors. As I commend GNPC for supporting our students, I would like to call on cooperate Ghana to come to our aid to support our brilliant but needy students’’ she pleaded.

The benefactor of the scholarship Darko Benjamin equally Commended EIB News and GNPC for facilitating his tertiary education at the time he had lost hope.

He promised to make a mark on campus with the opportunity provided him to make an impact on society.

“First of all I would like to thank God for his grace and favor. I would also like to thank the GNPC Foundation for their support to realize my dream. They have been great throughout the process. They kept communicating with me until today. I would like to thank GHone TV for also telling my story to the nation to attract this all important support from GNPC. I would like to assure everybody that I will make proper use of this opportunity from GNPC to make myself, GNPC, KNUST and my family proud academically,” he assured.