Kumasi, May 22, GNA - Sixty-eight brilliant but needy Catholic students from primary to tertiary institutions have benefited from an educational fund instituted by Saint Paul's Catholic Parish at Amakom in Kumasi.

The package, which is in the form of scholarship, ranges from 200,000 cedis to two million cedis per student per year. Dr Ernst Schmid, Chairman of the Saint John the Baptist Parish Partnership committee in Meckenhen in Germany, who announced this, said the package which runs into several millions of cedis, was provided by the parishioners of the church in collaboration with the Saint Paul's Parish.

He stated this at a thanksgiving Mass to mark the 20th anniversary of the partnership between the two parishes in Kumasi on Sunday.

Dr Schmid said the Saint John the Baptist Parish would continue to assist in the provision of funds to support brilliant but needy students in the parish all geared towards socio-economic development of society.

The Most Reverend Peter Akwasi Sarpong, Catholic Archbishop of Kumasi, commended the Germans for their support to the Saint Paul's Parish towards promoting education in the country and urged them to strengthen the bond of friendship.

Mr Moses Oduro, Chairman of the Saint Paul's Partnership Committee, made it known that 36 parishioners have since 1996, visited Meckenhen as part of the exchange programme.

He said 15 members of the church have so far benefited from a free apprenticeship training in carpentry and joinery and were each presented with equipment of their choice after completion of their courses, adding that 187 girls have also completed their vocational training in batik, tie and dye.