����Vlog

The Vice-Chancellor of the ����Vlog and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi Professor (Mrs) Rita Akosua Dickson, has reaffirmed the university's commitment��to bridging the digital divide through initiatives like the Support One Needy Student with One Laptop (SONSOL) Project, which has distributed over 3,300 laptops to students in need since 2021.

At the presentation ceremony today, over 600 deserving students were presented with laptops to aid in their teaching and learning experience.

Since its inception in 2021, SONSOL has distributed over 3,300 laptops, with a total estimated value of more than GHS 35 million.

“We have had support, and it is our collaborators and partners I want to appreciate. They have made this possible,” Prof. Dickson said. “The future belongs to graduates who can confidently navigate the digital space. The world today has little room for digital illiteracy, and at KNUST, we take this challenge very seriously.”

The SONSOL initiative was launched in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

KNUST has since adopted a blended learning policy, 70% in-person and 30% online, and invested over $5 million in digital infrastructure to support academic activities.

“The need is there, and this is the future of our country,” Prof. Dickson said, adding that poverty should not be a barrier to education. “Our focus is ensuring no student is left behind.”

Each year, more than 4,000 students apply for laptops through the SONSOL programme. Beneficiaries are selected based on financial need and academic performance.

This year’s programme was supported by multiple private and institutional donors, including Telecel Ghana, State Insurance Company (SIC), Isaac Books and Stationery, Stanbic Bank, Ecobank Ghana, OmniBSIC Bank, Multinec Enterprise, Hitachi Construction Limited, Omega Compu-System Engineering, OB Foundation, Yashcom Company, Papnobles Ventures, Eshmon OB Company, Ruth Keep fit Club, and student bodies such as the SRC-KNUST, GRASAG-KNUST, and NUGS-KNUST.

The Vice-Chancellor urged students to make the most of the opportunity and to one day contribute to similar efforts.

“Don’t forget the sacrifice and kindness shown to you today. Let them become part of your success story,” she said. “And to our students, we hope that tomorrow, it will be you leading companies and supporting others.”

Several donor representatives delivered solidarity messages, praising KNUST’s continued commitment to educational equity and pledging to sustain or increase their support in future editions of the programme.