Tamale: A project aimed at fostering girls’ education by creating a conducive learning environment at Nanton D/A Girls Model Junior High School in the Northern Region has been unveiled. This initiative aspires to promote educational adaptability and serenity for the students.
According to Ghana News Agency, the one-year project embraces UNICEF’s Safe Schools Model, focusing on enhancing the learning environment with classroom furniture to ensure comfort and safety for the girls. Titled ‘Empower Her – Empowering Girls through Education, Vocational Skills and Sustainable Resources’, the initiative is spearheaded by the Learners Girls Foundation, an NGO, and is supported financially by the KGL Foundation.
The launch event saw participation from key education sector stakeholders, including representatives from civil society organizations and the beneficiary school. Beyond infrastructure improvements, the project includes a mentorship program with workshops aimed at guiding students in entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and career development. These workshops are designed to imbue students with problem-solving, creativity, and business management skills.
Miss Azara Sulemana, Project Lead of the Empower Her initiative at the Learners Girls Foundation, highlighted the project’s community engagement efforts to raise awareness and boost enrollment and retention of girls in school. She remarked, “Through classroom workshops and stakeholder engagement, the project seeks to increase girls’ enrollment and retention rates while preparing their mindsets for career development and entrepreneurship. This will contribute to academic success and help reduce unemployment and poverty in communities.” She expressed confidence that girls’ enrollment and retention in the area would grow by at least five percent by the project’s conclusion.
Acknowledging a group of six students, known as the Tahama Group, Miss Sulemana praised their academic project at the school, which played a pivotal role in selecting the school as a project beneficiary. Miss Faizatu Sualihu from the Girls Advocacy Network discussed the importance of community stakeholders in supporting girls’ education and career development, underscoring the need to dismantle cultural barriers hindering girls’ empowerment. She stated, “Supporting girls’ education is not just about advancing girls’ rights, it is the smartest investment in the overall development of our communities.”
Mrs Janet Adua, Nanton District Director of the Ghana Education Service, applauded the efforts of the Learners Girls Foundation and its partners for choosing Nanton D/A Model Junior High School for the project, assuring full district support for its successful execution.
Students from the beneficiary school expressed enthusiasm and a readiness to work with school authorities to leverage the opportunities presented by the initiative.