Navrongo Native Theobald Kambonga Earns Pharmacy Doctorate With MTN Bright Scholarship Support
A Navrongo man from a struggling family overcame financial hardship to earn a Pharmacy Doctorate with MTN Ghana Foundation support.
Theobald Kambonga of Navrongo in the Upper East Region battled mounting costs while studying a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy at the University for Development Studies.
His father retired from teaching, tightening the family's finances. His mother kept the household afloat running a small beer bar, covering tuition, rent and daily expenses.
Financial strain threatened his studies, prompting Kambonga to hunt for scholarships that could lift the burden.
His search led to the MTN Ghana Foundation’s Bright Scholarship programme.
A call from George Frimpong, an MTN Foundation coordinator, announced his selection, sparking joyous disbelief.
He described shouting and jumping in excitement upon learning he had secured the award.
The scholarship covered tuition and housing, ending months of financial anxiety.
‘This support removed stress, letting me focus entirely on learning and growing,’ he said.
With finances stable, Kambonga completed his Doctor of Pharmacy at UDS and now works as a Marketing Representative with Gokals Limited.
He also serves as a Research Assistant at UDS, balancing industry and academic roles.
‘The scholarship meant everything to my mother and me. It eased the weight on her small business and brought real hope,’ he shared.
MTN’s Bright Scholarship launched in 2017 to mark its 20th anniversary and has aided 1,220 needy students nationwide.
It funds tuition, accommodation, laptops and book stipends at 18 tertiary institutions including UDS, University of Ghana and KNUST.
The programme has produced 17 valedictorians and 299 first-class graduates across its history.
Two hundred ninety-nine scholars earned second-class upper degrees and sixteen received second-class lower honours.
As MTN Ghana celebrates thirty years of operation in Ghana, Kambonga’s journey illustrates how targeted scholarship support can break financial barriers to tertiary education.
His success highlights the tangible difference such programmes make for families in northern Ghana.
