Thompson Kawoktu Kombat spent a year at home after completing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2018 because his family could not afford his university admission fees.
Eight years later, he graduated with a Distinction in Doctor of Pharmacy from the University for Development Studies (UDS), with three academic honours to his name, after receiving financial support from the MTN Ghana Foundation’s Bright Scholarship.
Thompson gained admission to UDS in 2019, but financing his education remained a challenge. A businessman lent his family money to cover his initial university costs, while he relied on his mobile phone for academic work because he could not afford a laptop.
The challenges deepened in his second year when he lost his mother. His father was also struggling to access his retirement benefits.
“I lost my mother in my second year, a painful experience that deeply affected me. Around the same time, my father faced difficulties accessing his retirement benefits, which had been locked up in the bank,” he recounted.
Determined to complete his education, Thompson searched online for financial assistance and discovered the MTN Ghana Bright Scholarship.
He applied, attended an interview and was selected at the end of his Level 300 year.
The scholarship covered his tuition and accommodation, provided a stipend for daily expenses and supplied a laptop to support his studies.
“For the first time, I felt relief from the constant burden of worrying about tuition and accommodation fees. Before the scholarship, every academic year came with anxiety about how to settle school bills, and that uncertainty often affected my concentration,” he said.
He said the support gave him renewed confidence and strengthened his determination to excel.
“I recognised that not every deserving or needy student had the opportunity to receive such support. This made me view the opportunity not simply as financial assistance, but as a vote of confidence in my abilities,” he said.
Thompson graduated in November 2025 with a Distinction in Doctor of Pharmacy.
At UDS’s 26th Congregation, he was named Overall Best Male Graduating Student of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Overall Best Student in the Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine.
He has since passed his professional licensure examination and is a registered pharmacist awaiting his housemanship posting.
Looking ahead, Thompson hopes to specialise in industrial pharmacy, focusing on drug formulation, development and research. He also plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Technology and contribute to Ghana’s pharmaceutical industry.
Reflecting on his journey, he said: “Excellence attracts support, and when one is committed and performs well, opportunities will arise through the goodwill of others. That belief inspired me to remain focused and determined throughout my studies.”
He expressed gratitude to the MTN Ghana Foundation for helping him complete his education.
“This scholarship has made a lasting difference in my life, and for that, I remain sincerely thankful,” he said.
Thompson’s story is among the beneficiary experiences being highlighted as MTN Ghana marks 30 years of operations under the theme “30 Years of Progress, Power to You”.
The MTN Bright Scholarship supports brilliant but financially disadvantaged students in public tertiary institutions, providing assistance for tuition, accommodation, reading materials and a laptop.