A report published on CitiNewsroom.com and Channel1News.com on October 24, 2024, which highlighted the plight of 20-year-old Fauzia Ali—a brilliant graduate of Serwaa Kesse Girls Senior High School in the Ahafo Region—did more than draw attention to her financial challenges.
It not only resolved her immediate burden but also inspired the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to incorporate her story into a broader policy proposal in its manifesto.
Fauzia, who dreamed of becoming a medical doctor, excelled in the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), earning a distinction in Integrated Science. Her outstanding performance earned her admission into the six-year MBChB (Medicine) undergraduate programme at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.
However, her path to medical school was nearly derailed due to financial constraints—until the report brought her situation to national attention.
Fauzia’s widowed mother, Zainab Ali, who supports the family through a modest roasted plantain business, was unable to raise the GH¢10,000 required for her daughter’s admission and initial expenses. With her earnings barely sufficient to meet the family’s daily needs, Zainab faced the painful reality of being unable to fund Fauzia’s dream of becoming a doctor.
Instead of preparing for medical school, Fauzia spent her days helping her mother sell roasted plantains in New Zongo, a vibrant community in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region. Though disheartened, she clung to hope—praying for a breakthrough that could change her future.
“There is no money for me to pursue the medicine programme I was admitted to at UDS,” Fauzia said at the time, her voice heavy with emotion. “I am pleading with anyone who can help me achieve my goal.”
The Citinewsroom.com and Channel1news.com report went viral with several individuals, corporate bodies and philanthropists, including the office of the 2024 Flagbearer of the NDC, now President, John Dramani Mahama, reaching out to offer support to Fauzia Ali.
Mr. Mahama subsequently met Ms. Fauzia Ali in Tamale during one of his campaigns ahead of the 2024 elections. He later met Fauzia’s mother in Kumasi during the same campaign rounds where he presented an amount of GH¢20,000 as his initial support and pledged to ensure the NDC Government gives her a scholarship to enable her to pursue her education should the party win power.
During the launch of the ‘No Fees Stress’ policy on Friday, July 4, 2025, at Koforidua, in the Eastern Region, President Mahama referenced Fauzia Ali’s story highlighted by Citinewsroom.com and Channel1news.com and said that the story pushed the NDC to include such a policy in its manifesto.
He explained, “There is a girl who received admission to the University of Development Studies, and her story was carried by social media. I am sure several of you would have seen it. She was sitting by her mother, and they were roasting plantains. And apparently, this girl had qualified for medicine at the University of Development Studies.
“But her mother didn’t have the money to pay the academic fees for her to register, and so, she had to sit by her mother to roast the plantain, hoping that they would be able to raise enough money.
“We looked out for her, found her and found her mother. So we took her to the University, we paid the academic fees for her, and we not only paid the academic fees for her, but we also asked UDS to give us her fees for the whole course, and they gave it to us. And we paid her fees until she finished University. So that was one of the stories that moved us to put into the manifesto the ‘No-Fee-Stress’ policy.”
During the launch of the ‘No Fees Stress’ Policy, President John Dramani Mahama announced the clearance of academic user fees for an initial 15,000 first-year tertiary students under the policy, which is a flagship, equity-based initiative aimed at eliminating financial barriers to tertiary education in Ghana.
Under the programme, the state will cover the academic-related fees of all first-year students enrolled in public tertiary institutions starting from the 2025 academic year.
The story of Fauzia Ali has undoubtedly made an impact not only on her life but the lives of many other students like her, whose academic dreams continue to be hindered by financial setbacks.
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