Cornmill operator’s son risks dropping out of medical school

A corn mill operator’s son risks dropping out of medical school after he was admitted as a fee-paying student at the University of Ghana.

By that designation, 20-year-old, John  Yao Avu would be required to pay at least three times the amount paid by regular students.

The fee-paying amount in his first year was  GHC 6,773. 00, which was paid for after he went cup in hand rallying friends and the benevolent support of old students of Keta Old Student Association.

“In my first year I stayed at the Pent hostel and got support from the UGSRC scholarship, that is how I survived”.

But in his second year of schooling, Avu has no guarantee of further financial support as his school fees has now increased to GHC8,089 excluding accommodation.

It means a dropout from school looms for the young man described as a prodigy.

His mother, a trader at the Aflao border is back home. The land borders to Ghana have been closed as part of government measures to control the spread of coronavirus.

It means the little support she could offer her son through her trade would no longer be forthcoming.

It was a member of the Keta Old Student Association, Johnloko Acolatse who brought  Avu’s plight to social media attention.

He said Avu’s parents barely survive on a day’s wage.

“His parents hardly make GHC500 a month especially now that his mother is home, it will be difficult, so we are trying to solicit for funds for him” he added.

But what his parents are not able to make financially, their son makes up for the struggle academically.

“He was part of the 2019 National Science and Maths Quiz for Ketasco and performed outstandingly well. He was also Ketasco’s best graduating student scoring excellent 8As in all his subjects with an aggregate 6,” he wrote in a post on Facebook soliciting help. According to him, Avu was offered two admissions to the University of Ghana Medical School.

The first was on August,16,2019 where he was admitted as a regular student. Then within 24 hours, the offer was changed to fee-paying.

“On August 16, 2019, John Avu was given an admission to study medicine as a regular student which required that he pays GHS 2,047.00 but miraculously the admission letter was changed to full fee-paying GHS 6,773. 00 within 24 hours, on August 17, 2019”.

He said when they enquired about it, the school said the first admission offer was a mistake.

 

Despite his family’s penury, Avu remains frightfully ambitious. He is trying to go to a university in the United States, a country where he believes scholarships abound.

He wrote the US-approved examination SAT and hopes that his sheer academic brilliance would compensate for his family’s sheer poverty.

The 20-year-old spoke to theghanareport.com and revealed his inspiration to study medicine.

He said he lost two of his siblings to an avoidable ailment in his childhood.

“When I was 8-years-old I lost my big sister, 18-years to heart attack, and a year later I lost a  brother and that refueled my passion, I took up medicine to transform those whose bodies want to fail them.”

Avu has also applied to the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation scholarship scheme hoping to be selected.

He will be going back to school in March 2021 and if his fees are not ready by that time he could be going in only to pack out.

You may also read: https://www.theghanareport.com/two-angels-rescue-ug-medical-student-from-dropping-out/

Anyone who wishes to support John Avu should reach out to The Ghana Report Foundation on 054 842 6252 or info@theghanareport.com