But for the timely intervention of the Citi Opportunity Project on Education (COPE), the desire of a young Senior High School (SHS) graduate to pursue his tertiary education overseas despite a fully-funded scholarship could not have materialized.
23-year-old Gideon Anania, a former student of the Sacred Heart Senior High Seminary in the Bono Region, gained admission to the Jain University, India to study Forensic Medicine.
Having obtained an aggregate of 15 after writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2018, Gideon has not been able to further his studies for three clear years, until he luckily obtained the academic aid.
The scholarship is a full US$30,000 annual offer covering tuition, accommodation and stipend for the entire six years of study. Unfortunately, his inability to raise the GH¢6,000 needed to pay for the air travel to Bangalore, India nearly ended his dream.
Providence has, however, smiled on him.
Chief Executive Officer of Citi FM/Citi TV, Samuel Attah-Mensah has opted to use COPE; the station’s educational initiative that seeks to provide scholarships to brilliant but deprived students to come to Gideon’s rescue.
What makes Gideon’s story touching is the fact that he joined over a hundred athletes to compete in the recently held Good Day Energy Drink Cross Country event organised in collaboration with Citi TV.
His ultimate aim was just to win the 12KM long-distance race and bag the GHS 5,000 cash prize that was up for grabs to enable him pay for his flight to India.
He was, however, not successful; as he missed the first position and placed 12th.
It was there that he contacted Mr. Attah-Mensah to share his story for assistance, having realised the purpose for which he had engaged in the race had not been met.
Although the project, does not support students in private or foreign institutions, Mr. Attah-Mensah, after talks with Gideon, decided to be compassionate due to the peculiarity of his situation.
Academic activities began last year, but he was granted an exemption to join the institution if he is able to report in December 2021, and sit for the first on-site examination.
So Gideon Anania was at the premises of Citi FM/Citi TV on Monday, November 29, 2021, to receive the air ticket.
He leaves Accra for India on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, to begin what will later become a promising academic journey.
In addition, Samuel Attah-Mensah has offered Gideon US$500 for his personal use.
He was received by Bernard Avle [General Manager], Mr. Omane Mensah Bonsu, [Business Development Manager], Vivian Kai Lokko [Head of News] and Kafui Kuwornoo [Coordinator for the Citi FM Foundation].
“Citi FM/ Citi TV is giving Gideon this air ticket to help him travel to India to pursue his course in Forensic Medicine. Congratulations to him and we wish him well. This is our COPE support to him because it’s a unique story”, Mr. Avle mentioned.
The young yet-to-be forensic doctor could not hide his joy. He was particularly grateful to the Citi FM Foundation for coming to his aid at a crucial moment of his education.
“The scholarship has helped me but there was no money for me to travel. I don’t think I would have been able to go to India. I have tried every ways and means but I was not able to raise even GHS 1,500. I am now thankful that Citi FM/TV has paid for my flight ticket”, an elated Gideon said.
Citi Opportunity Project on Education
COPE is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative under the Citi Foundation in support of Ghanaians in need of support. It is an initiative that provides scholarship to brilliant but deprived students to further their education.
The project has over the years expended over GHS 250,000.00 yearly on an average of 65 tertiary students, who have benefited from the scheme.
“We cater for students in public institutions mainly but because of his story; going out of his way to participate in the Good Day Energy Cross Country and the kind of course he is going to do, we thought it wise to help him although that is not what COPE normally does”, Kafui Kuwornoo stressed.