The Municipal Director of Education for Jomoro in the Western Region, Edith Mary Hagan, has commended Member of Parliament for the Jomoro Constituency, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, for providing educational support to brilliant but needy students entering Senior High School (SHS).
Mrs Hagan said the intervention was helping to address some of the financial challenges families face when their children gain admission to second-cycle institutions.
She made the remarks during the sixth edition of the Annual Scholarship Initiative spearheaded by the Jomoro MP.
The initiative has supported more than 1,000 brilliant but needy SHS students from 111 public and private schools across the Jomoro Constituency in 2026 alone.
The programme provides essential educational items to students transitioning from basic education to various second-cycle institutions, helping families meet some of the requirements associated with SHS placement.
According to Mrs Hagan, every September presents a difficult reality for many families as newly placed SHS students prepare to report to school, with parents struggling to raise funds to purchase basic items required for their children’s education.
“As the director, I know what happens every September. A child gets SHS placement, very brilliant, but the parents start crying: Where can I get money for a mattress and trunk?” she said.
She explained that while some students are fortunate to have the resources they need, others report to school without adequate bedding and personal belongings.
Some, she said, are forced to sleep on bare floors because their families cannot afford mattresses, while others arrive carrying their belongings in sacks and lack essential items such as chop boxes and mosquito nets.
Mrs Hagan said such financial difficulties can sometimes prevent brilliant but needy students from taking up their SHS placements, leaving them at home.
She described the scholarship package provided by the MP as a practical intervention that addresses the immediate needs of students and their families.
“Hon. MP, what you have done today has removed the shame and the barrier. You have given thousands of children dignity to enter SHS like any other child,” she said.
She added that the initiative went beyond the distribution of educational items, describing it as an investment in preparing students for the next stage of their academic journey.
“You have told them to go and learn. You have prepared them. This is practical scholarship. This is sponsorship that touches the ground,” Mrs Hagan stressed.
‘Education is an investment’
The Municipal Director said investment in young people’s education could have benefits that extend beyond the immediate beneficiaries and urged stakeholders to view educational support as a long-term investment in society.
“The child you treat today may become the doctor who would treat you tomorrow or the MP who would take over from you,” she said.
She further emphasised the enduring value of education and urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the support provided to them.
Students urged to protect items
Mrs Hagan also cautioned the beneficiaries to take good care of the items they had received and use them for their intended purposes.
She urged the students to remain disciplined and focused on their studies and warned against damaging or misusing the educational materials.
“Your mattress is for sleeping and learning, not for misbehaving. Your exercise books are to write notes, not to be torn. Your mosquito nets are to protect you and help you learn,” she told the students.
She encouraged the beneficiaries to work hard, respect their teachers and remember their roots as they pursue their education.
Mrs Hagan also challenged the students to replicate the gesture in the future by supporting other needy students when they become successful.
“One day, when God blesses you, come back and also give a mattress to a needy student,” she urged.
Education Directorate to track beneficiaries
Mrs Hagan called for collaboration between the MP’s office and the Jomoro Municipal Education Directorate to monitor the academic progress of beneficiaries of the scholarship programme.
She proposed tracking the students over the coming years to assess the long-term impact of the intervention.
“Let the Education Directorate help you track the progress of these students. Continue this. We want to know in three years’ time how many of them completed SHS and passed WASSCE. This would be the success story,” she said.
According to her, monitoring the beneficiaries would help stakeholders determine whether the support was translating into improved educational outcomes and successful completion of secondary education.
Traditional council commends MP
The President of the Western Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Kwasi Armachie III, also commended the MP for her contribution to education and development in the constituency.
He said traditional leaders in the Western Nzema were satisfied with her contribution, particularly her focus on education.
Awulae Kwasi Armachie III said he was impressed by the developmental projects the Deputy Transport Minister was bringing to various communities.
He described the MP as a “pace setter” and said anyone seeking to contest her should be prepared to match or exceed her contributions.
Affo-Toffey pledges continued support
Responding to the commendations, Madam Affo-Toffey assured the people of Jomoro of her continued support.
She said several educational projects had been completed and indicated that a number of them would soon be commissioned for the benefit of residents of the municipality.
Madam Affo-Toffey also appealed for continued support from constituents to enable her to deliver on her commitments to the constituency.
