‘Kayayo’ among 70 students awarded Pecan Energies scholarships

Pecan Energies has granted scholarships worth GH¢5.5 million to 70 students from low-income households to pursue their desired courses at tertiary institutions across Ghana for the academic year 2023/24, under its Pecan Inspire Scholarship Program (PISP).

The program has already benefitted 141 students, and the newly added 70 students will further enhance the impact of the initiative.

The scholarship

Read full articleprogram provides complete coverage of tuition and lodging fees, a laptop for academic work, a semester stipend, and student development programs, including career and skills training.

Mentoring and academic advising are also included in the program. The primary goal of the program is to help bright students from low-income households.

Pecan Energies is steadfast in its commitment to investing in education as a means of unlocking prosperity. The company's new owners, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), share this commitment and are willing to make the necessary investments so that more young people can acquire the skills necessary to contribute to Ghana's economic development.

Pecan Energies is committed to investing in building capacity in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The company recognizes that the education of these brilliant young men and women cannot wait, even though it is yet to commence oil production.

The PISP is the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Pecan Energies and its license partners: Lukoil Overseas Ghana Tano Limited, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and Fueltrade Limited.

It is intended to improve access to tertiary education for Ghanaians. The scholarship program 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 chosen for the 2023/2024 academic year are female. Jennifer Apingu, whose powerful story went viral last year, is one of them.

Jennifer worked as a head porter (Kayayo) to finance her Senior High School education. Despite representing her school in the prestigious National Science and Maths Quiz and achieving 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'm extremely happy to be able to pursue my dream. Pecan Energies has paid my fees, and I'm now looking forward to working hard to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Health and Allied Sciences,” Jennifer said.

The PISP reserves at least 80% of spots for beneficiaries from the coastal districts of the Western Region, with the remaining reserved for other regions of Ghana.

Over 85% of the beneficiaries are pursuing various STEM-related programs, including two physically challenged students.