The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has replaced the Cocoa Scholarship with other Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSRs) because the former has become obsolete.
This was revealed when COCOBOD distributed 60 packs of solar panels to Atawase community in the Atiwa West Municipality of the Eastern region.
According to COCOBOD, though the community, which is a cocoa growing area would soon be connected to the national grid, it is expedient to precede the connection with the solar panels to foster academic activities for the pupils.
Speaking to Adom News at the event, deputy Chief Executive in-charge of Agronomy and Quality Control at COCOBOD, Dr Emmanuel Agyemang Dwomoh said the scholarship, which was mainly for children from cocoa growing communities who were entering Senior High School, had become obsolete due to the introduction of the free SHS “so we came together as a Board to do something for these communities in place of the scholarship.
“Broad consultation among stakeholders in cocoa growing communities are done to identify a need which is subsequently provided by the Board.”
Aside the panels that were given, other teaching and learning materials were given to the school.
Odikro of Atawase, who is also Atibie Wirempimhene, Nana Frimpong Siaw II, appealed to COCOBOD to help them construct their broken Junior High School (JHS) block which has forced the pupils to study in church buildings.
Pupils in JHS 1 and 2 have been merged into one class in a church whilst JHS 3 occupy another church in the community.
Nana Siaw additionally pleaded for their road to be constructed for them as well as a health centre.
“We are a cocoa growing community and need good roads, health centre, electricity and other things that will make life simple for us,” he told COCOBOD representatives at the gathering.
Source: Ghana|Adom News|Felix Anim-Appau
