The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) has awarded full scholarships to 45 brilliant but needy female students at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, under its flagship Women from Mining Communities (WomCoM) scholarship scheme.

The initiative, launched in June 2024, is part of MIIF’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts to empower academically gifted young women from Ghana’s mining communities to pursue education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and mining-related disciplines.

This year’s scholarship award, valued at GHS460,000, benefits 43 undergraduate and 2 postgraduate students. Undergraduate recipients each received GHS10,000, while postgraduate students were awarded GHS15,000, covering tuition, accommodation, and other essential academic expenses.

The WomCoM programme received over 100 applications, with 45 successful candidates selected through a rigorous and transparent vetting process. The process was supervised by a five-member Steering Committee comprising representatives from MIIF and UMaT.

Gender Equity

Speaking at the award ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Justina Nelson, whose speech was read on her behalf by the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South-East, Yakubu Mohammed, reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to gender equity in the extractive sector.

“Our goal is not to provide partial help, we are here to make real impact.”

Beyond financial support, we are lifting burdens, raising aspirations, and changing narratives in communities that have often been left behind.”

Mrs. Nelson praised the partnership with UMaT under the leadership of Prof. Richard Amankwah and expressed gratitude to the Steering Committee for its professionalism and integrity in managing the process since its inception last year.

She also seized the opportunity to announce plans to expand the programme to include Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of efforts by MIIF to broaden the scope and impact of the scholarship programme to impact many more women from mining communities.

Contribution of Corporate Ghana

The MIIF CEO paid glowing tribute to corporate Ghana, saying, this year’s initiative was heavily supported by; OmniBSIC Bank, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, First Atlantic Bank, First Bank, and Procus Ghana Limited (makers of Kivo products).

“Their contributions mark a new phase of collaboration between MIIF and Corporate Ghana in advancing education and gender equity in our country,” she added.

Mrs Nelson expressed the hope that with the scholarship initiative now set to be expanded, corporate Ghana will join hands with the Fund as part of their corporate social responsibility, to reach out to more women from the mining communities who are pursuing STEM courses.

To the awardees, Mrs Nelson noted: “You were chosen not only for your academic potential but because you embody hope.

Strive for excellence and remember you are paving the way for many more girls who will look to you and believe that they too can succeed.”

She reaffirmed MIIF’s commitment to sustain the WomCoM initiative as a transformative platform for building female capacity across Ghana’s mining value chain and expressed the hope that, with corporate Ghana on board, more can be done for brilliant but needy women from mining communities.

The Vice Chancellor of UMaT, Prof Richard Amankwah said while minerals in the soil will be depleted, the investments in the lives of the people will stay and have an impact on generations.

He used the opportunity to appreciate MIIF for the scheme which is making great impact in the lives of the awardees and expressed the hope that more corporate institutions will support the initiative of the Fund to make it sustainable.