Ghana Oil Palm Development Limited (GOPDC) in the Kwaebibirim Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana has presented educational scholarship worth Ghc 230,000 to some 51 selected tertiary students in their catchment area.
Community Relations Manager, Andrew Enyam Andoh, speaking to the press explained that, the gesture forms part of their corporate social responsibility.
He said the scholarships were initially given to Senior High School students until the inception of the Free SHS policy in 2019 which has necessitated the shift to the tertiary students.
According to him, some continuing tertiary students are beneficiaries, adding that, the 51 are the new entrants.
Andrew Enyam Andoh admonished all to rally support for the company for socio-economic development of the enclave and the country as a whole.
The beneficiary students who were full of joy after the presentation promised to make good use of GOPDC’s gesture with a firm assurance that they will take their studies seriously so to reciprocate what GOPDC has done for them.
In all 17 communities which Asuom, Kwae, Mintah, Okumaning, Kusi, Takrowase among others that benefited from the scholarship.
GOPDC, a member of the Siat Group of Belgium, is an integrated agro-industrial company specialized in the cultivation of oil palm, extraction of crude palm oil and palm kernel oil.
They are responsible for the production of King Oil according to him.
GOPDC has about 21,000 hectares of oil palm plantations at its Kwae and Okumaning estates in the Eastern Region of Ghana, of which, about 13,000 have been developed for about 6,000 out growers. In total, there are over 1,860,000 oil palm trees spread over a radius of 30 km, creating a direct or indirect income for above 50,000 people.