The Member of Parliament for the Jomoro Constituency in the Western Region, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, has presented scholarship packages to more than 1,000 candidates who completed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and are preparing to enter various second-cycle institutions. Corrections Policy
The initiative, which is in its sixth edition, is intended to support brilliant but financially disadvantaged students and ease the cost of preparing for Senior High School (SHS).
Madam Affo-Toffey, who also serves as the Deputy Minister of Transport, has made education support a key component of her constituency activities. The 2026 presentation builds on a similar intervention in 2025, when more than 600 BECE graduates received assistance.
The MP began the scholarship initiative in 2021, before she became a Member of Parliament. Since then, it has developed into a major annual education-support programme for families across the Jomoro Constituency.
This year’s beneficiaries were drawn from 111 public and private schools within the constituency. The broad coverage allowed students from different communities and educational backgrounds to benefit from the programme as they prepared to begin their second-cycle education. Newscard
The presentation took place at Bonyere Junction and attracted parents, guardians, traditional leaders, chiefs, queen mothers, constituency executives, dignitaries, and other stakeholders.
Each beneficiary received a package containing essential items for boarding-school life, including a trunk, mattress, chop box, exercise books, and mosquito net. Female students, who constituted a significant proportion of the beneficiaries, also received sanitary pads to support their menstrual hygiene needs.
The items are expected to reduce some of the financial pressure associated with the transition from junior high school to senior high school. For many families, the cost of purchasing bedding, storage trunks, learning materials, personal necessities, and other supplies can create difficulties, particularly when several children are in school.
By extending the programme to students from both public and private schools, the initiative seeks to ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent deserving young people from pursuing their educational ambitions.
Speaking at the event, Madam Affo-Toffey described the scholarship programme as more than a charitable intervention, saying it represented an investment in the future of children in Jomoro.
“For me, this is more than a scholarship—it is an investment in the future of our children and a way of easing the burden on parents,” she said.
She expressed the hope that the initiative would continue beyond her tenure as Member of Parliament and encouraged future representatives to sustain the programme.
“This has come to stay, and even after I have retired, whoever would take after me should be willing to continue and make sure the people of Jomoro benefit, and I am willing to support whoever would succeed me,” she added.
According to the MP, one of the main motivations for maintaining the programme is the progress made by beneficiaries from previous editions. She said witnessing some of the students advance to tertiary institutions had encouraged her to continue investing in educational opportunities for young people. Editorial Ethics & Independence
Madam Affo-Toffey also expressed appreciation to parents, guardians, traditional authorities, constituency executives, and other stakeholders who supported the initiative and attended the presentation.
“Our children are Jomoro’s future, and I remain committed to giving them every opportunity to succeed,” she said.
She further acknowledged the role of God in sustaining the initiative and expressed gratitude for its continuation into its sixth year.
The Jomoro Municipal Chief Executive, Benedict Boadi, praised the MP for her continued support for education in the municipality. He said the intervention reflected the importance of collaboration between elected representatives and local authorities in addressing educational needs.
Mr Boadi stated that the education sector in the municipality had received support from the MP in various forms, including assistance that had contributed to the development of school infrastructure in several communities.
He said he could attest to the MP’s efforts and urged stakeholders to recognise and encourage initiatives that support students and improve educational opportunities.
The MCE also announced that October would be observed as a “commissioning month” for completed development projects in the municipality. He indicated that several projects, including school buildings, were expected to be commissioned through collaboration between the MP and the assembly.
The scholarship presentation forms part of broader efforts to support education in Jomoro and encourage young people to remain focused on their studies. Beneficiaries are expected to use the assistance to begin their second-cycle education with greater preparedness and work towards pursuing further education.
The long-term objective of such interventions is to help reduce barriers to education and enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to the development of Jomoro, the Western Region, and Ghana.