The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Mastercard Foundation have marked 10 years of empowering brilliant young Africans with education and leadership training.

Since its launch in 2014, the program has fostered the potential of over 2,000 young people from economically and socially marginalized communities.

The foundation aims to promote diversity and transformational leadership in Africa.

Across Ghana and Africa, the dreams of many ambitious young people remain in the shadows due to a lack of support and mentorship.

In 2014, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program was launched at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to address these challenges.

The Mastercard Foundation at KNUST in Kumasi commemorated its 10th anniversary with a vibrant durbar celebrating a decade of educational and career impact across Africa.

KNUST Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, paid tribute to Mastercard Foundation President and CEO Reeta Roy for her vision in supporting youth leadership and education across the continent.

Prof Dickson noted that the Mastercard program at KNUST is significantly impacting families and communities and addressing poverty.

“If you end poverty, what can't you end? This program is doing what Africa needs to be done. Mastercard has brought Africa to KNUST, impacting families, communities, Ghana, and Africa. Mastercard provides for this continent through our institutions, telling stories of possibilities,” she said.

Among the over 2,000 beneficiaries at KNUST, two-thirds of current scholars are young women, 9% are differently abled, 18% are international students, and 4% are displaced or refugee youth, reflecting a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The event was themed “Celebrating a Decade of Transformation and Impacting Lives.”

President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, Reeta Roy, said the foundation is committed to empowering marginalized youth with leadership and service skills.

“The ten-year partnership between Mastercard and KNUST is a testament to a partnership filled with impact, purpose, learning, and trust. KNUST has reached across countries to find brilliant young people from economically marginalized communities, communities that have been left behind.

"We saw their potential and prepared young people for a life of leadership and service. Over the years, we have witnessed how beneficiaries are focused on delivering impact and knowledge,” she said.

The anniversary celebration brought together scholars, university leaders, alumni, and representatives from partner institutions, including a stakeholder dialogue.

The Executive Director for Admissions and Special Aid at Ashesi University, Araba Botwe, applauded the foundation for navigating setbacks to continuously impact lives.

“This incredible milestone of 10 years impacting communities is a testament to outstanding accomplishment. Having walked down this path, we, the scholars’ program directors in Africa, salute the CEO’s tenacity. Indeed, the journey has been challenging but fulfilling,” she said.

The anniversary celebration included a campus dialogue titled “A Time with Reeta,” where students and staff held an engaging conversation with the Mastercard Foundation CEO.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at KNUST, launched in 2014, continues to provide full scholarships, leadership training, and entrepreneurship support to date.