'I have decided to be educated...'

There is something uplifting about hearing 100 teenage girls singing ‘I have decided to be educated, I have decided to be educated, I have decided to be educated…no turning back, no turning back’! These were the words that were sung by over 100 girls at the Atwima Kwanwoma Focal Girls workshop held in the Foase district. Run by the Girl’s Education Unit (GEU), the day saw selected girls from neighbouring schools participate in a workshop aimed at improving the strength of girls club within the district.

Having partnered with the GEU, SFLIG was lucky enough to not only attend the day but to also facilitate some of the main activities. With the key objectives being to highlight the importance of girl’s education, address the challenges faced by girls in their educational journey and develop leadership skills of the participants, Solutions utilised practical activities that strengthened the communication techniques of the participants and built their self-esteem as leaders. GEU supplemented the practical sessions of SFLIG with sessions that discussed girl’s education, self-esteem, adolescents and challenges that face teenage girls in Ghana.

GEU runs girls clubs throughout Ghana to support and guide teenage girls in their academic and personal pursuits. Within them, facilitators work on academic skills whilst also tackling the issues facing teens. The girls who attended this workshop were selected with the vision that they would become leaders of the girls club within their school, which would reignite or strengthen the already established clubs. In schools where the club was not established, these girls would be used to aid teachers in the development of a club.

Girl’s education within Ghana continues to have many challenges with over 44% of adolescent females not attending secondary school. The reasons for these low attendance scores are many – teen pregnancy, inadequate financial support, social stigmas, and lack of educational aspiration – but girls clubs, such as SFLIG’s Change Makers Ambassadors Club, are an excellent way to mentor and guide teenagers so that they make the right decisions for their future.

SFLIG’s final point of the day was to ask the girls to make a commitment to themselves and those girls who they intend to lead – a commitment to work hard at their education and to support those around them to do the same. This commitment was symbolised by their collective thumbprints and names. With numerous girls commenting on how the workshop had empowered them with new knowledge and skills, it was clear that the day had achieved its desired outcomes. And as always, SFLIG was honoured to be part of such a program and to contribute to the learning of these future leaders.