The Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Ramseyer Congregation at South Odorkor Sakaman, has launched a scholarship scheme to support brilliant but needy children and to serve as a means of eliminating social vices among the youth.

The Church has, therefore, appealed to parents and guardians capable of affording the needs of their children to give way to parents living in abject poverty to access the scholarship fund.

Mrs Ruth Amissah, Chairperson of the Emmanuel Scholarship Scheme, said during the launch on Sunday, that it (scholarship) aimed also to bridge poverty and educational gaps for the full realization of fundamental human rights of all manner of persons.

The launch was anchored by the theme: “Just as you have done for these Little Ones, You have done for me (Mathew 25: 40b).”

Explaining further, she said, the fund was for “Parents who wish to look after their children but do not have...it is for the brilliant but needy children...so please, parents who can afford...let us give the poor the chance.”

Mrs Amissah, however, said the support scheme was subject to good performance of students and their moral conduct, and that the committee responsible for the scholarship would not hesitate to withdraw it from those who misconduct themselves or perform poorly.

She said about 110 people had benefited already from the scheme and asked members of the congregation to see the outcome as a collective effort and contribute regularly to sustain it.

Preaching the sermon, Dr Esther Offei-Aboagye, Executive Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, noted children were entitled to education, shelter, food and protection from exploitation, harmful cultural practices and trafficking.

She said Ghana had been applauded for achieving the Millennium Development Goal two: “Ensuring that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling”.

At the secondary level, Dr Offei-Aboagye said net enrollment for males was 51 per cent and girls 47 per cent with net attendance for boys being 40 per cent as against 44 per cent for girls.

Given the figures, she said, there was a lot of work to do and that largely bordered on availability of facilities and resources.

Dr Offei-Aboagye reminded parents and adults of their responsibility to take proper care of their children for the future of the nation and the Church, to carry forth traditions, values, achievements and sustenance.