Celebrating a decade defined by transformative leadership, inclusive education, and community impact, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program commemorated 10 years of partnership this June.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at KNUST has supported 750 Mastercard Foundation Scholars in its first phase and is on track to support 1,500 more, with a focus on recruiting 70 percent young women.
The three-day celebrations were highlighted by a community transformation project at Ayigya Basic School. A group of Mastercard Foundation Scholars renovated classrooms, improved the ICT lab, built a mechanized borehole, and constructed a wall around the school, aiming to enhance student safety, hygiene, access to clean water, and digital literacy.
The project is special because it embodies the values of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at KNUST, noted Head Teacher Mr. Eric Amankwaah. “The Mastercard Foundation Scholars are inspiring a new culture of leadership and selflessness," he said.
It was a sentiment echoed by former and current Mastercard Foundation Scholars Council presidents, describing the Ayigya project as a true reflection of the program’s values: service, leadership, and giving back.
The celebrations culminated in a cultural durbar at the KNUST Great Hall, bringing together Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni, university leadership, Mastercard Foundation staff, and partners. Featuring poetry, storytelling, and testimonies, Mastercard Foundation Scholars shared how the program changed their lives, and those of their families and communities. One Mastercard Foundation Scholar described how he raised awareness of the program in his hometown using just $1 worth of data, inspiring a second generation of young people to seek out the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Reflecting on the partnership, Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, noted, “The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is not just about scholarships – it is about transformative leadership grounded in values. And KNUST is mission-critical to achieving our goal by 2030.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Rita Akosua Dickson duly noted the transformative impact of education: “The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is doing what Africa needs done – impacting families, communities, Ghana, the subregion, and the world.”
