By Bernice Bessey
For almost a decade that it was banned from sending Ghanaian students abroad for the pursuance of higher education, especially in the area of health, the Jvsalynn Foundation has resumed operations to assist students who were not admitted into the nine traditional universities and can’t afford the exorbitant private institutions.
Mr. Gideon Aryeequaye, Director of the foundation, noted that Ghana, as a country, needed a vibrant human resource base to develop, but the traditional universities are unable to admit most of the overwhelming number of students seeking admissions.
Speaking at the re-launching of the Jvsalynn Foundation on Tuesday at the Alisa Hotel, Ridge, Accra, said the foundation operations were under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, National Youth Authority (NYA), Department of Social Welfare and overseas universities, but suffered a fraudulent accusation, which led to it suspending operations in 2004, the very year it began.
He said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), for almost 10 years, could not substantiate the visa fraud allegation leveled against the foundation.
“The accusations of the foundation by the BNI, CID Headquarters and EOCO, that its activities were fraudulent, were erroneous and unjust,” he bemoaned.
He added that many of the students were sent to the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, Eastern Europe and the Republic of South Africa.
“Most of these students, who went on the programme, have completed their courses and have returned home, better qualified, and are occupying important positions in the Republic of Ghana,” he said.
In long term projection, Jvsalynn Foundation would be establishing a Science and Technology University in the Volta Region to support and revamp the lapses in the tertiary education.
Ras Mubarak, Chief Executive of the NYA, pledged the government’s support for the foundation to create a friendly environment for the youth.
He urged the youth to take advantage of foundation’s offers to acquire higher learning, adding that job placement in recent times had become competitive, and it was only education that could bridge the gap.