Award winning Ghanaian actor John Dumelo on Tuesday demonstrated that indeed he believes in education. He has set himself apart from being tagged as one of those actors who use their money arbitrarily and not on important things.
The actor on behalf on his John Dumelo Foundation (JDF) has presented an amount of GHC 3.000 to the Students Financial Aid Office of the University of Ghana, Legon to give scholarship to two students who are brilliant but lack the financial backing to complete their course at the university.
Speaking briefly before the presentation, John said, this year his foundation is embarking on various projects, one of which is to give scholarship and support to brilliant but needy students in the tertiary institutions.
He said his foundation is starting what can be called ‘the John Dumelo Foundation scholarship for tertiary education’ which will see him sponsor students for their entire duration of their courses or stay in the university.
“We are paying for two university students; one Medical student and one Theatre Arts student. We are sponsoring both to undergo the whole university education”, he said.
The Medical student needs 6 years to complete the course whiles the Theatre Arts student will use 4 years. For the entire duration that the lucky students would be staying in school, the JDF would take care of them till completion.
At the launch of his J.Melo clothing line earlier this year, John promised to use 20% of funds in the business to support his foundation which was launched on the same day.
Every year the JDF will add more students to the scholarship scheme with the “hope to officially sponsor about close to 50 students in the next five years.”
John mentioned that, the scholarship is not for only University of Ghana students as there are plans to have the scholarship launched in his alma mater; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Development Studies (UDS) and then to the private universities.
In accepting the cheque for the first installment, the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. James K. Adomako thanked the actor for his kind gesture.
According to him many students come to the school with complaints due to their inability to pay their fees. Some are even forced to defer their courses.
He went on to assure the actor that the scholarship he is churning out is in the right course and would help brilliant but needy students. He said the school would put the money into good use for the benefit of the students.
“Your money would go to support needy students”.
On her part, Mrs. Christine Baning, Head of Student Financial Aid Office also thanked the actor and promise her office would administer the scholarship on the new admitted students.
