The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi has launched its 2025 Summer Camp, a two-week event designed to equip scholars with practical skills, foster innovation, and inspire community impact.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (MCFSP), at KNUST since its inception in 2014, has since become one of the university’s flagship initiatives for nurturing transformative leaders. As part of its enrichment activities, the Program organises the annual Summer Camp, bringing together more than 1,200 scholars for two weeks of training, exhibitions and recreational activities.
This year’s camp is themed “Beyond a Decade: Empowering Young Leaders with Skills for Transformative Impact.”
The programme exposes participants to entrepreneurial disciplines and soft skills that complement their academic studies and stimulate their potential for societal benefit.
Speaking at the launch, Ms. Afia Ampomah Awuah, Programs Manager at the Scholars Program explained that the camp complements classroom learning by exposing students to hands-on skills and encouraging them to give back to their communities.
“We want to equip students with skills so that it’s not just the classroom things they are learning. Many scholars have gone on to start businesses and community projects with what they gained from the camp.
The aim is to train them to become not only employees but also employers,” she stated.
She added that over the years, scholars have applied their skills in practical ways, from refurbishing schools to starting small businesses. According to her, these activities not only improve local communities but also help scholars build confidence in using their knowledge for real-world impact.
“The essence,” she explained, “is for students to identify problems in their communities and contribute to solving them.”
Professor Kofi Owusu-Daaku, Principal Investigator and Coordinating Lead of the Program, reminded scholars that they represent both KNUST and the Mastercard Foundation brand.
“The scholarship program is like a double-edged sword; it opens doors but also comes with responsibility,” he told participants. “In as much as you want to excel, you should have integrity and truth. Be ambassadors of the Program wherever you go.”
He further recounted the journey of the Program and urged students to make the most of the resources available to them.
He emphasized that beyond excelling academically, scholars must uphold ethical values and demonstrate leadership in their communities. “It is not just how you came in but how you go out that matters,” he said, calling on students to let the skills they acquire “stay with them, even when they are at home.”
Former scholar and entrepreneur, Mr. Francis Adeina, encouraged participants to treat their community projects as sustainable initiatives rather than one-off activities. “It should not be that you are doing it just because it is required. If you approach it as something you truly want to do, it becomes long-term and can even create jobs after graduation.”
Drawing from his own experience as a pig farmer and founder of a rice hulling and corn milling business in Nkoranza, Bono East, Mr. Adeina said commitment and trust are key in building sustainable ventures.
He urged current scholars to leverage the Mastercard Foundation’s resources and network, noting that the brand’s reputation creates opportunities both within Ghana and abroad.
The 2025 Summer Camp will end with an exhibition showcasing the skills acquired and a day of sports and fun activities to mark the close of the two-week engagement.
