Just as it is the dream of every growing child to live comfortably and have the best of life as they go about their daily activities, Life in itself has always not been friendly as we may wish and presents us with platforms where we are faced with so many obstacles but often compelled to survive than to choose among its option.
The story of a young boy from Seneso in the Sekyere Afram Plains district in the Ashanti region is inspirational and has caught the attention of many. In the early hours of 11th June 1996, Mr. Ransford M Tege was born to the Tege family. As the elder of many children, Ransford saw the need to be responsible for his life at an early age.
Education is crucial but having the necessary supply is essential for learning and academic success. Due to the economic downturn, many students struggle to achieve their dreams as a result of inadequate educational material. At Seneso, where Mr. Ransford had his basic school education, the case wasn’t different as far as education is concerned. As a young boy, Ransford got enrolled for the first time in school but the dream of having access to quality education was nowhere close to achievable. Even so, He never lost hope of becoming that well-to-do individual he had dreamt of seeing himself, this saw him go through several struggles in the early days of his educational life.
As a strong and determined goal-getter, Ransford was hit with the issue of an infrastructure deficit as far as teaching and learning are concerned. Together with his friends, Ransford was forced to have his basic school education in an open space under well-shaded trees which is popularly known as a SCHOOL UNDER TREE in the Ghanaian educational setting. Many like him were faced out of school due to the hardship children had to go through in a day just to have access to education. Though not exceptional among these kids, His endless passion for education and doing something for himself and the entire family saw him push through the hard times as a young child and the elderly of his parents.
As the captain and the passenger of the boat, Ransford saw himself on the verge of sinking since life never ceased to present him with more complex issues as the day go by. As a young boy, his mum thought him never to let go of the teachings of the old book and so throughout the struggle He hoped for a savior either than that his dreams were going to be shattered at an early stage of his life. Having prayed for a helper, Ransford was saved by an NGO by the name world vision international after spending years of his basic school days under a tree. This golden moment of his life saw him realize the possibility of realizing his dreams so fast even more than he imagined back in the days under the tree.
After so many years of suffering, the desire of studying in a well-roofed classroom with furniture came to a full realization which saw Ransford study in a built classroom for the first time in his life as a student. Hardworking, determined, and relentless as he has been in his early day’s pursuit of academic excellence despite his difficult beginning saw him complete his basic and junior high school with flying colors, where he proceeded to the senior high level as he journeyed on to a better life someday to come.
If you have never believed in the popular saying that God still does miracles, Ransford M Tege is living proof. After going through hard times in his early stages, Ransford rose above the standard to become the head boy prefect and doubled as the SRC president at senior high school. This early success in his educational life was inspired by the struggles he went through as a young student and gave him the edge to put himself at the front line for the success of everyone that came his way.
Just as the old book describes that no man lights up a candle and hides it under their bed but keeps it on a candle stick so that it may shine to the sight of many, the glory days of young Ransford though seem far but were already at the foresight of many who couldn’t have seen it come with that much speed. After a successful senior high school life, young and hardworking Ransford who was on the verge of losing his dream to street life because of difficulties in his upbringing and accessing good educational life gained admission to study at the University of Education Winneba.
A dream that seems unachievable from the beginning looks more likely a reality than a mere dream. The journey that saw no hope from the start was now filled with unforgettable memories for the entire university community and his personality. After beating all odds to get here young and determined Ransford made a name for himself among his friends, lecturers, and the entire university community, making him the icon and star man for the faculty of social science especially the department of geography after a showman performance by him in academics and other roles he took as a student.
As a person who has faced a lot in life from his basic school days through to the early days of his junior high school life, thanks to world vision international who brought him to the lamplight, Ransford felt the need to present himself as a serving sacrifice for colleague students and be the voice of the voiceless in agitating for the right of students on campus. With his struggles as a skull of inspiration, Ransford rose high to become the hope of many students who shared a similar story to his and the entire students’ populace after contesting and winning elections to become the president of the national union of Ghana students’ University of Education Winneba chapter (LOCAL NUGS PRESIDENT). One would say what good thing has a young boy from a poor background got to offer as a student leader even at a prominent University but as the saying goes “do not judge a book by its cover”, Ransford went to the books of the students and the university management as one of the most hardworking, relentless and resilient student leaders the school has ever had. Rising to issues and tackling them, when necessary, many tipped Ransford to be not just a great leader in the history of the school but a great asset for the nation someday to come.
The village boy from Seneso and a product of schools under a tree have not only become a fighter for the well-being of students in his university but also become the hope of the ordinary Ghanaian student who is faced with so many educational issues in the country. After serving as the Local NUGS president of UEW, his good works saw him contest and win the office of the SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION of the NATIONAL UNION OF GHANA STUDENTS popularly known as NUGS. At the bigger stage in his journey as a student leader, Mr. Ransford M Tege is still living his trademark as a focused and determined young leader who has got his people and their needs at heart. As the mouthpiece of the entire Ghanaian students, his office has been of help to countless students and still fighting for the well-being of every Ghanaian student.
Mentioning a few, his office so far has been in strong advocacy for the reduction of school fees by management of various tertiary institutions to the 15% threshold set up by parliament, donating funds to support some individuals. His strong activism for good educational life for Ghanaian students saw him and his office declare the 20th of February as BASIC EDUCATION DAY, where they took to the streets of the nation’s capital advocating for better infrastructure and a good education environment for the young Ghanaian child who wants to study, touring some basic schools in the nation’s capital to encourage students and also have a look at issues faced by these young ones and how best it can be solved to ensure a good academic environment. Together with other executives of NUGS a project which seeks to give hope to the young child who desires to be in school but is prevented by a similar issue of his in the Kanania community of the Kasina Nankana district is underway to give the community an ultramodern six-unit classroom block to support education in the community.
Today, Mr. Ransford M Tege, a village boy with no hope for even a senior high school education is a graduate of the University of Education Winneba who graduates with a first-class honor in B/A Geography and Political Science Education. Just like Ransford there is always hope if you will believe in yourself and work for your future. The story of this gentleman is a true reflection of the saying, “there is always light at the end of the tunnel”.