The Bii-Kunuto Educational Fund has committed GH¢200,000 to support 105 needy but brilliant students from Gonjaland, including tertiary students pursuing Gonja Language studies.
The latest beneficiaries were selected from more than 200 applications received by the fund for its 2026 educational assistance programme.
The disbursement was made at the Jakpa Palace on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Mr Mankir Ibn Malik, spokesperson for the Bii-Kunuto Educational Fund and Public Relations Officer of the Gonjaland Youth Association, said a selection committee was constituted to assess the applications and identify students with genuine financial need and strong academic prospects.
He said the selection was conducted independently and beneficiaries were not chosen based on their relationship with the royal family.
“The committee was tasked to look at the needs of the students and also the programmes they are pursuing and the institutions they attend,” Mr Ibn Malik told the media after the ceremony.
The beneficiaries include students pursuing medicine, law, health-related programmes, education and other disciplines, as well as postgraduate and PhD students.
A significant number of the beneficiaries are also studying Gonja Language, following concerns about declining interest among young people in pursuing the language at tertiary level.
Mr Ibn Malik said supporting Gonja Language students was intended to contribute to the preservation and promotion of Gonja culture and heritage.
The Bii-Kunuto Educational Fund was established in 2023 under the leadership of Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I), in response to financial barriers preventing promising young people from continuing their education.
In 2024, the fund supported more than 60 students with GH¢300,000. It also established a Guidance and Counselling Project at Damongo Senior High School in 2025.
The fund has additionally supported three students from Gonjaland pursuing medicine in China.
At the ceremony, the Yagbonwura urged the beneficiaries to take their studies seriously and make the most of the opportunity.
He particularly encouraged the female beneficiaries to remain focused on their education and pursue their academic and professional aspirations.
The Yagbonwura also appealed to individuals and institutions that had pledged financial support to the fund but were yet to fulfil their commitments to honour them.
He said fulfilling the outstanding pledges would strengthen the fund and enable it to extend educational assistance to more students across Gonjaland.
One of the beneficiaries, Issah Alfred Eunice, a law student at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), said the assistance would help meet her tuition, accommodation and other educational expenses.
Ms Eunice, who lost her father early last year, said the scholarship had come at a critical time as she struggled to finance her education.
She appealed to individuals, private institutions and development organisations to support the fund to enable more financially disadvantaged students to access tertiary education.
According to her, some academically capable young people are unable to pursue higher education because their families cannot afford tuition, accommodation and other related costs.
She said supporting such students was an investment in the development of Gonjaland and the wider society.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
