Mr Richmond Kofi Kpotosu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho Central, has supported 353 brilliant but needy Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates with mattresses and plastic trunks to help them prepare for their transition to Senior High and Technical schools.
The gesture, aimed at easing the financial burden on parents and guardians, forms part of the MP’s commitment to ensuring that no child in the constituency is prevented from pursuing secondary education because of the inability to afford basic boarding and school-entry requirements.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony on Tuesday, Mr Kpotosu said he had promised the people of Ho Central that no child in the constituency would be turned away from the classroom because of the inability to provide items such as a trunk, mattress or other essential supplies.
“I made a promise to the good people of Ho Central that no child of this constituency would be turned away from the classroom because a chop box, trunk, mattress or a bag of groceries stood between them and their dream. Today, we are not here to make another promise. We are here to keep one,” he said.
He said education remained one of the most effective tools for transforming lives and creating opportunities, noting that his development agenda for Ho Central therefore placed education at the centre.
He said the increasing cost of education had placed considerable pressure on families, making it necessary for leaders and institutions to intervene to ensure that children from less-endowed backgrounds were not left behind.
Mr Kpotosu said, in collaboration with the government under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he was committed to ensuring that first-year Senior High School students from Ho Central entered school properly equipped, supported and encouraged.
He described the donation as a “small but sincere down payment” on a broader commitment to education, including scholarships for brilliant but needy students and efforts to improve school infrastructure across the constituency.
The MP urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity and approach their secondary education with discipline, focus and determination.
“Carry these items with pride, but carry something greater with you into that classroom – discipline, focus and the belief that you were not left behind, but sent forward,” he said.
Mr Kpotosu said the constituency was investing in the students because they represented the future generation of doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs and other professionals.
He expressed appreciation to parents and guardians for their support and assured them that he would continue to advocate for resources and interventions to improve educational opportunities in Ho Central.
“This is only the beginning. Viva Kpotosu stands for Service, Development and Empowerment. As your Member of Parliament, I renew my commitment today to keep opening doors of opportunity for every household in this constituency, one intervention at a time,” he said.
Dr Esther Yeboah-Adzimah, the Ho Municipal Education Director, commended the MP for the initiative, saying the items required by students preparing to enter Senior High School were numerous and the intervention would help reduce the financial burden on parents.
She said the donation marked the second time the MP had supported students in such a manner and expressed appreciation for his continued commitment to education.
Dr Yeboah-Adzimah urged parents and guardians to take good care of their children and provide them with the necessary educational support.
She said although Basic and Secondary Education was provided under the government’s free education programmes, parents still had responsibilities towards their children because not every educational need could be provided free of charge.
“Where it is necessary to spend on the child to get quality education, parents should do so for their good future,” she said.
The Municipal Education Director also advised the beneficiaries to remain disciplined, avoid negative peer influence and remember their backgrounds as they entered their respective Senior High and Technical institutions.
She encouraged them to remain focused on their academic goals and conduct themselves in ways that would enable them to realise their aspirations.
Togbe Kasa III, the Dufia of Ho-Ahoe, also expressed appreciation to the MP for supporting the students and urged the beneficiaries and their parents to take good care of the items.
He encouraged the parents to remember the MP in their prayers and continue to support him in his efforts to promote development in the constituency.
Some parents of beneficiary students who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) expressed appreciation to Mr Kpotosu for the intervention, saying it would ease the financial pressure associated with preparing their children for Senior High School.
They said the support would enable them to channel their limited resources towards meeting other educational needs of their children.