Fighting child labour, promoting excellence: AMS offers scholarships to children of cocoa farmers.

The beneficiaries were selected after a competitive essay, focused on promoting good agricultural practice, good environmental practice, and good social practices in their communities. 

The essay gave pupils the opportunity to ‘write a letter to a friend, telling him or her the benefits of living in a clean environment’. 

During the eighth edition of the scholarship scheme, more than 300 students from several cocoa farming communities participated in the essay writing competition, to showcase their academic prowess and determination. 

The AMS package supporting the laureates in their educational journey included school bags, exercise books, pens, umbrellas and cash prizes. The first position got 100,000 FCFA; second position, 80,000 FCFA and third position, 60,000 FCFA.

The 33 awardees from all the units in the different zones had prizes partitioned according to their performances in the competition, 11 prizes for 100, 000 francs, 11 prizes for 80, 000 FCFA, 11 prizes for 60,000 FCFA. 

Scholarship vision to promote education, excellence

Addressing stakeholders during the ceremony, Clerance Forchu, the Human Resource Officer, representing Etake Divine Ngaaje, the CEO of Agroproduce Management Services Limited, said the scholarship was the vision of the company to promote education and excellence among children of cocoa farmers. 

She said AMS Ltd invested in getting young minds in farming communities achieve their educational dreams, while fighting child labour and limiting school drop. 

“…we are proud to report that our program has made significant difference in the lives of many because over the past seven editions, we have awarded 225 scholarships to deserving students,” Forchu said. 

Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Ewanoge Christine Mbolle, Project Communication Officer at AMS Ltd, said the company’s goal remains combating child labour and promoting education. 

“…education is very important and AMS Ltd is setting a pace knowing fully well that after this, the parent might have much ease for them to further their education, and not just end at the primary level,” she explained. 

She added that eight years after the start of the initiative, the company is seeing the results with more farmers sending their children to school beyond the primary level. 

Some of the beneficiaries expressed their joy receiving such scholarships from AMS Ltd after the competition. 

Kome Kelvia Bright, from Owe in the South West Region, said the scholarship would help her parents in many ways to reduce the fees and get her school needs. 

Eliana Namise Nkeme, on her part, said her parents would have enough money to pay the school fees and help her siblings. 

In this light, they promised to study and work hard to merit the investment on them by their parents and AMS Ltd.

Meanwhile, Manje Frida, a guardian to one of the beneficiaries, said the scholarship is a welcome relief to her family. She said the offer is the validation of her daughter’s work ethic, adding that it motivates her to ensure she reaches the highest level in education. 

The competitive essay competition targeted children of farmers who sat the entrance exams into Form One, with the selection process based on merit. It had respected academic experts on the panel, who independently assessed performance to ensure the most deserving students were awarded the AMS scholarship.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3553 of Wednesday September 03, 2025