FHASHEE Receives Student Donations to Enhance Practical Training

Speaking at a brief ceremony to officially receive the items, Dr. Rosemary Quarcoo, Ag. Head of the Department of Clothing and Textiles Education, praised the initiative of the graduating class of 2025, who donated an industrial digital sewing machine to the Department. She explained that the contribution was motivated by the students’ awareness of the department’s longstanding challenges with outdated faulty equipment.

“We have mostly hand-sewing machines and some domestic electric ones, most of which are not functioning. You repair them today and they are broken down tomorrow. With the technological era that we find ourselves in, I think we should have new technologies to train our teachers who will go out to train others in the field,” she observed.

Dr. Rosemary Quarcoo described the gesture as thoughtful and visionary, emphasising that the new machine would give students a feel of modern fashion technology and better prepare them for industry demands. She expressed hope that such donations become regular, not only from students but also from alumni and external stakeholders to strengthen the department for the rapidly evolving fashion world.

In a similar spirit, Level 200 Integrated Home Economics students who will soon transition into Level 300 presented a large double gas oven to the Department of Integrated Home Economics Education. Explaining the motivation behind the gift, Ms. Linda Cobbah, a lecturer at the department, noted that the students, out of their own initiative, recognised the urgent need to support their department with their own modest contributions to enhance practical training and learning experiences.

“They realised that during practical sessions, there are challenges with the limited ovens available which often cause congestion and delays. Out of goodwill, they decided to contribute towards purchasing this large gas oven to help ease the challenges during cookery sessions and improve the quality of teaching and learning,” she recounted. Ms. Linda Cobbah praised the students’ sense of sacrifice and foresight, encouraging them to continue in that spirit of giving.  

Prof. Fred Yao Gbagbo, Ag. Dean of FHASHEE, received the items on behalf of the Faculty and the University Management. He expressed sincere appreciation to the students for their selfless contributions, describing the initiative as one “worth emulating.”

“As you can see, the faculty needs a lot of things. Charity, they say, begins at home. This initiative speaks volumes. If every student association could do such a thing for the university, I am confident most of our problems would be solved internally,” Prof. Gbagbo remarked.

He stressed that the donations highlighted the students’ commitment to the development of their own departments and appealed to alumni, philanthropists, and stakeholders to also support FHASHEE with the necessary equipment to advance teaching and learning.

The ceremony closed with applause from faculty and students who expressed joy at the growing culture of student-led support for practical learning. The donations not only addressed urgent needs but also reflected the vision of UEW students to leave lasting legacies that strengthen academic training and prepare future cohorts for success.