Hamdia Issahaku has emerged as the Best Female Graduating Student at the School of Nursing and Midwifery of the University for Development Studies (UDS), after overcoming significant financial challenges that once forced her to sell body splash between hostels to support her education.

Hamdia, who hails from Gambaga in the North East Region, lost her mother at a young age. Her father, who had worked to support the family, later retired as she prepared to enter Senior High School, leaving the family with limited financial resources.

The situation became even more difficult when her brother was involved in a serious accident and required a craniotomy. The cost of his treatment reportedly depleted much of her father’s savings.

When Hamdia gained admission to UDS to study Nursing, meeting the cost of tuition, accommodation, books and other academic needs became a major challenge.

Determined to stay in school, she began selling body splash to students on campus, moving from one hostel to another.

“I had to sell body splash from one hostel to the other just to cater for some of my needs. As a result, I started facing academic setbacks, sometimes missing lectures,” she said.

She applied for the Tisungtaba Scholarship, but the support did not fully meet her needs.

Her circumstances changed after Dr Umar Haruna, then Vice Dean of Students at UDS, directed her to apply for the MTN Bright Scholarship.

Hamdia was selected as an MTN Bright Scholar, receiving support for tuition and accommodation, as well as a laptop and a stipend for books and study materials.

The financial assistance allowed her to stop relying on her small business to meet her educational expenses and concentrate more fully on her studies.

“I had tears of joy because finally I had gotten the support I really needed, a fully funded scholarship. It still remains one of the happiest days of my life,” she said.

The scholarship selection process also helped Hamdia build confidence, particularly in public speaking and presenting herself before others.

She eventually completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UDS and graduated as the Best Female Graduating Student at the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Hamdia is currently undertaking her national service at Tema General Hospital, where she is gaining practical experience as she begins her professional career in nursing.

Away from nursing, she has also maintained her entrepreneurial interests and started a small beverage business producing and selling Sobolo and Zomkom.

Reflecting on her journey, Hamdia said the MTN Bright Scholarship gave her the opportunity to focus on her education at a time when her family was struggling financially.

“MTN Ghana Foundation has made it clear that you just have to take the first step, and there will be someone to support you throughout the journey,” she said.

The MTN Bright Scholarship

Hamdia’s story forms part of the impact of the MTN Ghana Foundation’s Bright Scholarship, which is being highlighted as MTN Ghana celebrates 30 years of operations in Ghana.

Launched in 2017 to mark MTN Ghana’s 20th anniversary, the programme has supported 1,220 brilliant but needy students to complete their tertiary education.

The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, a laptop and a stipend for books and study materials.

Over nine years, the programme has reached students across 18 tertiary institutions, including the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Cape Coast, as well as colleges of education and health training institutions.

According to the programme, 17 Bright Scholars have graduated as valedictorians or best students at their universities, while 299 have graduated with first-class honours, 47 with second-class upper and 16 with second-class lower honours.

For Hamdia, the figures represent more than statistics. They reflect a personal journey from selling body splash between UDS hostels to becoming the Best Female Graduating Student at the School of Nursing and Midwifery.