Cassava processing firm inaugurates committee on scholarship scheme

The management of Psaltry International Company Limited, a major player in cassava processing in Africa, has inaugurated a special committee on its 2024 scholarship scheme that will provide full coverage tuition, accommodation, feeding of students of cassava farmers in Iseyin local government and Ibarapa area.

The committee which is headed by the former Chairman of Iseyin local government, Alhaji Saheed Alaran, also has as members, seasoned teachers like Prince Femi Olalere, Mr Ademola Wasiu and a journalist in person of Mr. Alhazan Abiodun.

Others whose assignment include collation of scholarship application forms, screening of forms and conduct of eligibility test for applicants are: Mrs Ige Olayinka, an official of Psaltry and Miss Precious Triumphant who is a National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) member.

During the inauguration, the Managing Director of Psaltry International Company Limited and founder of Psaltry Foundation For Sustainable Development, Mrs Yemisi Iranloye said the programme was set up to facilitate easy access for indigent children of cassava farmers to acquire higher education and fulfill their dreams of becoming managers of businesses and employer of labour.

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Iranloye added that the scholarship scheme covers courses in natural sciences like medicine, social sciences, law and other management courses, with the opportunity for the beneficiaries to acquire skill through holiday jobs, seminars and mentorship during their academic breaks.

“Although our farmers have been promoted to a level that they appreciate with the partnership they have with us, they have been able to send their children to primary and secondary schools, but they lack the capacity to give especially the female children and the male children that are brilliant the opportunity to have higher education.

“This is a pro-active measure to give the children of our farmers, especially the female, the leverage to aspire to get to managerial positions of our company through higher education, the work of the committee set up today will help us achieve this.

“We want to touch lives, help us look for these children, they are out there looking for help, get to them and pick them for this opportunity,” she charged the committee.

Iranloye also pointed out that the foundation will reach out to the Oyo State Ministry of Education and all the State-owned higher institutions of learning to make the process of admission and monitoring of beneficiaries possible.

The committee chairman, Alhaji Saheed Alaran in his response, saluted the resilience of the company to add positive values to the lives of its farmers, citing the electrification of over fifteen communities close to the factory and integration of cassava farmers with high quality farming inputs that have benefited them to have more yield.

He pledged the commitment of the committee to work round the clock to help achieve the aims and objectives of the foundation, so as to contribute their quota to the development of the society.