Toase (Ash), July 14, GNA - The Atwima-Mponua Rural Bank has offered scholarships totalling 22 million cedis to 100 basic school pupils from the Atwima and Ahafo-Ano South districts. Fifteen students selected from the Toase Secondary School, Nkawie Secondary/Technical School and Osei Tutu Secondary School at Akropong will benefit from the scholarship scheme. This brings to 364 the number of beneficiaries of he bank's scholarship scheme totalling 60 million cedis instituted about four years ago.

Mr B. B. Yirenkyi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank who presented the cheques to the students at Toase, said each of the 100 pupils also had a bag, school uniform, 15 exercise books, six pens, six erasers and two pencil sharpeners, all estimated at three million cedis. He said illiteracy and ignorance could be adequately eradicated to pave way for accelerated development if financial institutions contributed meaningfully towards the development and improvement of education.

Mr Yirenkyi said the bank has fulfilled one of its prime objectives to address poverty, illiteracy and under-development within its catchments area by instituting the scholarship scheme. He advised the beneficiaries to justify the bank's investment by studying hard and exhibiting a high sense of discipline and morality. Mr Yirenkyi said a mechanism has been put in place to monitor the performance of the students and pupils and warned that the scholarship would be withdrawn if they failed to perform satisfactorily. Mr Eddy Obeng-Darko, the Atwima-Nwabiagya District Director of Education, acknowledged the immense support and assistance from the bank and other local institutions to enhance quality education in the district.

He said the directorate has put several measures in place to improve teaching and learning in schools.

Mr Dapaa Siakwan, President of the Ashanti Regional chapter of the Association of Rural Banks, commended the bank for its initiatives and advised the beneficiaries to justify the bank's investment in them.