Management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in collaboration with its partners has distributed Five Hundred and Ninety-Three (593) brand new laptop computers valued at Two Million Nine Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 2,965,000.00) to brilliant but needy students in the University. The initiative is in fulfilment of the Vice-Chancellor’s vision to support One Needy Student with One Laptop’ dubbed ‘SONSOL’ Project, the maiden presentation of laptops was held at the Great Hall on 25th February 2021.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson in her address stated that the technological evolution of the higher education ecosystems has been hastened by the pandemic, resulting in the use of diverse information technology (IT) tools in tertiary education. Therefore, the University is mindful of not only focusing on offering excellent online teaching and learning to students, but also imbibing 21st Century skills, to make them employable and employers.

Professor (Mrs.) Dickson on behalf of management thanked the donors for coming to the aid of the students despite the economic challenges that COVID-19 has brought. The Vice-Chancellor, however, announced that after competitively screening the applicants, 4,375 qualified to receive the support with only 593 laptops available. Professor Dickson revealed that the distribution of the 593 laptops is thus the initial support and that Management hope to take deliveries from other organisations who have expressed their willingness to support the initiative. She called on other organisations and other benevolent individuals to come to the aid of these brilliant students.

Professor (Mrs) Dickson assured all stakeholders that the Management of the University is fully committed to ensuring a win-win partnership and looks forward to better ways of leveraging on the collective efforts towards a better KNUST and its respective partners.

A representative of the awardees, Miss Henrietta Agyei-Yeboah thanked the donors and the Management of the University for making their dreams come true. Other beneficiaries recounted how economic hardships had affected their performance and asked for God’s blessings for the partners who have supported them.

Taking solidarity messages from the donors, the Regional Manager of CBG Northern Sector, Mrs. Bernice Asamoah, the Head Vodafone Ghana Foundations, Rev. Amaris Nana Adjei Perbi, the Managing Director of SIC Insurance PLC, Mr. Stephen Oduro, the Head of Communication for Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, Mrs. Emma Obeng-Baah, the Director of Urban Roads at Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Ing. Nana Poku-Agyeman all recounted how touched they felt after listening to the humbling stories of the beneficiaries and promised to increase their support to other needy students on the list. They also appealed to other organisations to join them to support these brilliant students to achieve their dreams.

The President of KNUST Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Mr. Samuel Sesah expressed much gratitude to Professor Dickson for conceptualising the SONSOL Project. He also thanked the donors for the laptops given to the students and promised on behalf of the students to keep the computers in good shape and utilize them for its intended purpose. He also pledged on behalf of the SRC leadership to support the initiative with 50 laptops.

This project was made possible through the kind gesture of the following organisations: Vodafone Ghana, Stanbic Bank, Absa Bank, SIC Insurance PLC, Jospong Group of Companies (Zoomlion), Tobinco Pharmaceuticals, Consolidated Bank Ghana, Standard Chartered Bank, Ing. Nana Poku Agyeman, Director of Urban Roads, Kumasi, Lawyer Agyei Baffour, Andysarp Furniture and Multinec Enterprise.