Mechanical Technology student who begged for food has all fees paid by 2 philanthropists

A Mechanical Technology student who used to beg for food for survival now has 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year fees paid by two philanthropists.

Abdul-Rahman Mohammed (his real name, an earlier version of his story had employed a pseudonym), and a student of Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), was unable to pay his second, third, and final years fees.

Members of the public responded kindly to Myjoyonline’s publishing of his predicament.

Both philanthropists – a product of the university and a Ghanaian living in Kenya – have asked to remain anonymous.

3rd-year Mechanical Technology Education student tells story of how he begged for a plate of food

Abdul-Rahman still faces other hurdles, including the acquisition of a laptop that will let him begin and complete his thesis.

Background to the storyOn September 23, 2022, the Institution of Engineers and Technology (IET) Ghana was inaugurating and inducting new engineers at the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) in Kumasi.

Executives of the Institution had to convene at the mechanical workshop of the university to have lunch.Salaam approached one of the waitresses about 20 minutes before lunch to request a plate.

“I want to eat some of the food since I’m hungry,” Salam said.

Everyone was taken aback.

He has no recollection of what happened to his father because he was too young at the time.

Life has not been easy since, which is one of the reasons Salam chose the Kumasi National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), where he studied auto-mechanics and graduated in 2006.

He had to enroll for the pre-HND mechanical engineering program at Kumasi Technical University because he was not qualified to enter university or any of the tertiary institutions due to a lack of some core subjects.

His mother is still alive, but things have not been going well for her porridge business.

He was determined and hoping that things would be different this time.

Lo and behold, a Good Samaritan in the Kumasi suburb of Manhyia, whom Salam declined to name, paid the admission fees and has continued to do so.

But there are more obstacles than Salam could have imagined.

When university resumed this semester, Salam skipped two weeks of lectures, and his colleagues assumed he had dropped out.

He indicated that being an engineering student at university is challenging, especially in his case, because he lacks the necessary equipment to effectively pursue the programme.

For instance, he does not have a laptop computer to conduct research as required by engineering students.

He is equally unaware of any information discussed among students on campus.

“Sometimes, I’d walk to school and realize lectures had been cancelled,” he complained, adding that he would have known if he had an Android phone and could have monitored the information on their WhatsApp group.

His predicament caused his colleagues at the University to contribute about 180 cedis to cover his fare to and from school.

There are many students at AAMUSTED who live the hard way.

Just yesterday, I had to remove the attire I came to campus with and give it to a student so he could attend a university event,” said Engr.