The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme (MCFSP) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi has commemorated its 10th anniversary with a grand durbar and stakeholder dialogue, celebrating a decade of educational impact across Africa.

The event, held under the theme “Celebrating a Decade of Transformation and Impacting Lives,” brought together scholars, university leaders, alumni, and representatives from partner institutions.

KNUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Rita Akosua Dickson paid tribute to Mastercard Foundation President and CEO Reeta Roy for her vision in supporting youth leadership and education across the continent.

“This journey began with Reeta Roy, who believed in Africa’s youth,” said Prof. Mrs. Dickson. “In a few years, you’ll see them everywhere, offering solutions to humanity and transforming communities.”

Roy praised KNUST as a key partner in the Foundation’s pan-African effort to educate and empower students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“You didn’t hold back,” she told the university. “You searched far and wide to find bright, passionate young people and prepared them for lives of impact.”

She added that the partnership with KNUST had influenced how the Foundation rethinks philanthropy, shifting focus from funding alone to long-term, measurable impact.

The durbar also featured remarks from Araba Botwe of Ashesi University, another Mastercard Foundation partner, who described the anniversary as a milestone that reflected resilience and shared goals.

“It honours past achievements but also lights the way for future progress,” she said.

Earlier in the day, the university hosted a campus dialogue titled “A Time with Reeta,” where students and staff held a candid conversation with the Mastercard Foundation CEO. Roy shared her personal and professional journey and encouraged scholars to balance structure with flexibility.

“You can plan,” she said, “but many of life’s best opportunities are unplanned. Stay open, that’s how incredible stories begin.”

Roy also emphasized the importance of collaboration, calling it “the engine behind the Foundation’s success,” and noted that 75% of the Foundation’s partners are now based on the African continent.

She urged scholars to remain grounded in their values. “Don’t be seduced by power, it fades. What will endure is who you are, what you stand for, and what you bring to the world.”

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme at KNUST, launched in 2014, has supported over 2,000 students to date, providing full scholarships, leadership training, and entrepreneurship support.