NGOs promote girl-child education in 12 schools in Bongo District

By William N-lanjerborr Jalulah

Mrs. Lucy Awuni, Dep. Upper East Regional Minister

Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), an international non-governmental organisation, and Master Card Foundation have launched a five-year partnership programme to support girl-child education in the Bongo District.

Within the period, the two bodies would increase girls’ access to education in one Senior High, eight Junior High and three Primary schools.

During the Launch of the programme at Bongo on Tuesday, the Executive Director of CAMFED, Mrs. Dolores Dickson, said her organisation would assist the beneficiaries of the programme with basic needs like uniforms, books and other learning materials to retain them in school, and bring accelerated benefits to them as individuals, their families and the communities.

She explained that the five-year programme had a vision to educate, protect, respect and value every child to grow well and have access to quality education.

The Chief Executive Officer of Master Card Foundation, Rita Roy, a donor partner to CAMFED, said she was looking forward to the success of the programme, and hoped the investment made would be used judiciously.

Launching the programme, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni, said a Ghana Statistical Service survey in 2000, revealed that in Ghana it has been estimated that 42.6% of the population was illiterate, of which 50.2% were females.

She said the high rate of illiteracy in the country, especially, among women, was unacceptable, considering the serious implications on personal and national development.

This is because illiteracy has been proven to be associated with high maternal and infant mortality, poor nutrition and health, and the high spread of HIV/AIDS among others.

Mrs. Lucy Awuni reiterated that the greatest wish for all African countries, including Ghana, was to enhance access and equity in educational opportunities for every child of school going age, and create adult education for both men and women.

She said, if all children of school going age could be admitted to school from kindergarten and stay on to complete, at least the basic level of education, they could grow into literate adolescents.

The Deputy Regional Minister further stated that if such adolescents are provided with further educational opportunities in vocational or technical training, they would be equipped with productive skills, and develop into full functional literate adults.

Mrs. Lucy Awuni cited finance as the most common reason for female dropout of school, and was of the hope that the launch of the partnership of CAMFED and the Master Card Foundation with the Assembly would help bring relief to girls who drop out of school after completing basic education.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Bongo, Clement Akugri Tia, revealed the programme’s support for 12 schools in the district, and hoped all schools in the district would be brought onboard by the end of the five years.

Mr. Clement Akugri Tia stated that the launch of the programme would be meaningless, unless it succeeds in the district. He, therefore, entreated the District Director of Education to particularly, embrace the programme and ensuring the interplay of commitment, dedication, transparency and accountability at all times.

The Deputy District Director of Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr. Louis Asakia, entreated beneficiaries of the programme to stick to their studies for the realisation of the vision and mission statement of the programme.

Please let us try and emulate what our brother AFRICAN Countries are doing in raising the hope of  their children, ward and our brother and sister so that they can take their position as a leader in the future to come..

Come join me raise a child today and you will see the benefit tomorrow..