Three Hundred and Forty-eight (348) beneficiaries of the 2024 Hulede Foundation Scholarship at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi have interacted with the Management of the Foundation in a meeting dubbed ‘Time with the Beneficiaries’ on Saturday, 8th June, 2024 at the Allotey Auditorium, College of Science, KNUST.
According to Mrs. Theodora Oduro, a Senior Assistant Registrar at the Directorate of Students Affairs, the purpose of the meeting was to enable the Management of the Foundation to familiarise themselves with the new scholars and encourage them to learn hard to become useful citizens. She on behalf of the University Management, expressed appreciation to the Foundation for their benevolence and investments in brilliant but needy students. She also used the occasion to advise the beneficiaries to show gratitude to their benefactors by studying hard to make the scholarship worthwhile. ‘As a Hulede scholar, live a life of contentment, practice good time management, engage in meaningful social activities and remember that the sky is your starting point,’ Mrs. Oduro advised.
Giving a background to the Foundation, the Co-Founder and Board Member of the Hulede Foundation, Mr. Patrick Hulede, said the Foundation was set up in honour of Mr. Patrick Hulede of blessed memory, Founder and First Manager of the University Printing Press (UPK) by his two sons Patrick and John. The Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for the less privileged in society to better their lives. He noted that the Foundation has previously provided aid to several primary and elementary schools in the Kumasi Metropolis and some senior high schools.
According to Mr. Patrick Hulede, the Foundation’s scholarship at KNUST seeks to identify brilliant students who are genuinely underprivileged to assist them in their pursuit of higher education. “We are not just interested in giving out financial support but also assisting recipients through mentorship, career development and exposing them to other life opportunities. Our ultimate desire is to encourage recipients to develop and maintain the culture of giving back to society,” he added.
Mr. Patrick Hulede revealed that since 2021, the Hulede Foundation Scholarships at KNUST has awarded scholarships to over three hundred brilliant but needy undergraduate students at all levels and in 2024, three hundred and forty-eight (348) students have received support in the form of scholarships from the Foundation. He encouraged the scholars to give back to the society and also volunteer forty (40) hours annually of their time for community service, which should be endorsed by an overseeing authority.
Joining the meeting virtually, the Founder of the Foundation, Mr. John Hulede, urged the scholars to be good ambassadors of the Foundation in their communities and participate in various community development activities in their respective communities to harness their potentials. ‘We believe in you, go and be the light where there is none,’ he charged.
In appreciation for the excellent community initiatives by most of the scholars, the Foundation presented twenty (20) brand new Dell Latitude laptops to twenty (20) scholars for distinguishing themselves as committed individuals, dedicated to giving back to society.