Accra, Nov. 15, GNA - Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) International on Sunday launched an educational fund in Accra, with seed money of GHc 20,000 to implement a scholarship scheme to assist needy students and vulnerable children in society.

The fund is the church's contribution to education as a social responsibility to improve and develop the country's human resource capacity to meet future challenges. Mr George Anto-Boateng, Chairman of the Educational Fund Committee, said apart from the seed money various sources of funding would be tapped to provide a sustainable capital base for the fund. Some of the sources of funding will include a one per cent support from mid-year and annual church harvests and pledges from individuals and organisations.

Mr Anto-Boateng said the funds would be invested in treasury bills and fixed deposits with the accrued interest used for payment of the bills of beneficiary students. He said bright but needy members of the church as well as other children would benefit from the scheme with awards mainly for Senior High Schools and few slot for tertiary education. Mr Anto-Boateng said beneficiary students would enjoy the award as long as they exhibit good behaviour and produce satisfactory academic results. Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, Director-General, Ghana Education Service said education was the only means through which the country could effectively develop its human resource. "We can make progress as a nation only if we provide the citizenry with quality education," he said, adding that education is fundamental in the country's quest to attain a middle income status and in distributing development benefits through society.

It is in this direction that government has launched different programmes, including the capitation grant, free uniforms for 1.6 million children in deprived areas and scholarships for brilliant but needy students, he said.

Mr Bannerman-Mensah said government alone could not bear the responsibility to provide all the resources needed for quality education and called on stakeholders such as the church, parents, guardians and old students to support.

He commended the CAC for the initiative and said it was a clear demonstration of the support churches had been given to education. Dr Stephen Amoani, Chairman, CAC, who launched the scheme said to avoid abuse measures were being formulated to ensure that only qualified children benefit. He implored members to make periodic contributions and donations to sustain the fund.