The Suhum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Lydia Sarah Ohenewaa, has extended educational support to 650 graduates of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to facilitate their transition into Senior High Schools (SHSs).
The beneficiaries, drawn from communities within the Suhum Municipality in the Eastern Region, received essential items to help them meet some of the requirements needed to commence their secondary education.
The items distributed included trunks, student mattresses, rubber buckets and exercise books, providing significant relief to parents faced with the rising cost of preparing their children for SHS.
The support programme was held at the Suhum Main Lorry Station on Saturday, where the MCE announced that she had increased the number of beneficiaries from the original 500 to 650 following appeals from parents in surrounding communities.
According to Madam Ohenewaa, the decision to expand the programme was driven by the needs of families who were struggling to provide basic school requirements for their children.
In addition to the prospectus items, outstanding BECE candidates who obtained single-grade aggregates were honoured for their academic excellence.
The high-performing students received hampers and cash prizes ranging from GH¢800 to GH¢1,000 as recognition for their hard work and achievements.
The MCE said the initiative was aimed at improving educational outcomes in the municipality while ensuring that financial difficulties did not prevent brilliant but needy students from continuing their education.
She explained that the intervention formed part of her broader commitment to supporting education and creating opportunities for young people in the municipality.
To ensure the sustainability of the initiative, Madam Ohenewaa disclosed that she had entered into a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SOL Foundation to provide continuous educational support.
The partnership, she said, would help sustain assistance to students over the next decade and contribute towards ensuring that children in the municipality had the opportunity to pursue second-cycle education. The programme represents a significant expansion from the previous year, when 350 students benefited from similar assistance.
Madam Ohenewaa said the initiative was consistent with the government’s commitment to making quality education accessible and attractive to Ghanaian children, particularly those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Parents express gratitude
Some parents of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the MCE and the SOL Foundation, saying the intervention had come at a critical time.
They explained that many parents were struggling to raise money to purchase the required prospectus items for their wards and that the assistance would substantially reduce the financial pressure on their families.
Suhumhene commends MCE
The chief of Suhum, Osabarima Ayeh Kofi Opare, commended Madam Ohenewaa for what he described as a practical and beneficial initiative designed to address the educational needs of families in the municipality.
He said the scale of this year’s intervention had exceeded his expectations, particularly the decision to support as many as 650 students. According to him, the initiative went beyond the provision of educational materials, as it directly addressed the financial difficulties confronting parents whose children were preparing to enter SHS.
Osabarima Kofi Opare praised the MCE’s commitment to the development of Suhum, saying her focus on education and other community needs had set a high standard for leadership in the municipality.
He further observed that her achievements would create a difficult benchmark for whoever assumes the position of MCE in the future.
The chief described the initiative as a historic milestone, noting that it was, to his knowledge, the first time a sitting MCE in the municipality had personally undertaken such a comprehensive support programme for BECE graduates transitioning to SHS.
He assured Madam Ohenewaa of the community’s continued support and expressed the hope that the initiative would be sustained to benefit more children in the municipality.
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