Without a visible role model, you cannot dream beyond what you see

7 minute read

Together, I believe we can create something that genuinely changes the path for the next generation.

Growing up in Savelugu in northern Ghana, I did not have a role model within my community. I wanted to be the kind of woman that girls in my neighbourhood could one day point to and say, “She showed us what was possible.”

My name is Fadila and I have just completed my MPhil in Education, Globalization and International Development at the University of Cambridge, with support from the Mastercard Foundation. This achievement feels extraordinary because there were only a handful of boys in my area who had gone to university.

For a girl like me, it once felt almost impossible.

Growing up, my dad was a farmer and my mom a trader. Putting food on the table each day was always difficult, so I helped out by selling sandals after school. My dad understood the value of education and gave me unwavering support and encouragement.

When I entered junior high school, our finances were so stretched, I was on the verge of dropping out. Every day I was sent home from class because I hadn’t paid the school fees. But I persisted and passed my junior high leaving exams with good grades, earning a place at a boarding school in the city. While a great opportunity, I couldn’t afford to pay the fees.

My dad managed to raise just enough money by selling some of our food crops so that I could start senior high school. Not long after that, he had an accident and broke his thigh, leaving him on crutches and unable to work. I was trying to support my schooling by working two jobs, determined to lift my family out of poverty.

Then I learned about CAMFED from our Teacher Mentor who had observed my struggles and referred me for support. CAMFED provided me with everything I needed: menstrual supplies, books, a calculator, soap, and school fees. I was able to give up my two part-time jobs and dedicate my time to my studies.

After I graduated school with high grades, I applied for a Bachelor of Education from the University for Development Studies in Ghana. CAMFED helped me access a scholarship to see me through my degree, and a grant to start a business.

Getting to university was not just a personal achievement. It was a statement for every girl in my community who believed it was not for her. Now I support other girls in similar situations to realize their dreams.

Here I am at the Faculty of Education where I studied in Cambridge, UK. (Credit: CAMFED/Fadila Issah)

Leading change in my community

In 2019, I joined the CAMFED Association – the network of women leaders educated with CAMFED support. I served as both Cluster Chairperson, and Vice District Chairperson for Savelugu district from 2019 to 2023.

My work as Vice District Chairperson involved fundraising and engaging partners — community chiefs, parents, teachers, government officials, and local organizations — to mobilize resources. Funds were used to support vulnerable community members, and address barriers keeping girls out of school.

Me(first left) with members of the CAMFED Association, CAMFED CEO Angeline Murirmirwa (third from left) and CAMFED Executive Director Fiona Mavhinga (second right) at a Learner Guide Session for participants at the 2026 Skoll World Forum, Oxford, UK. (Credit: CAMFED)

Nurturing my passion for teaching

From 2019 to 2025, I volunteered as a CAMFED Learner Guide (peer mentor), mentoring girls and helping them stay in school. When I enrolled on my education degree, I knew the Learner Guide role was exactly what I needed to build my experience. It was one of the best decisions I made!

The program strengthened my confidence in ways that formal education alone never could. It taught me how to solve problems, approach difficult situations with patience, manage a classroom, and engage partners. These are life skills that I use in every role I have taken on since.

As a Learner Guide, I ran life skills and wellbeing sessions using a book called My Better World. The sessions were fun and full of energy because every module was relatable. The content spoke directly to the lives of young people in our communities, which made teaching it genuinely exciting. Students would participate freely, share their own stories, ask questions, and engage with one another in ways that did not always happen in regular lessons.

Being a ‘big sister’

My first posting as a Learner Guide was in a tight-knit community where I worked hard to build trust with my students. They confided in me in ways they did not always feel comfortable doing with their teachers.

Early on, I noticed that one of my students always missed the first lesson. Confiding in me, she explained that every morning she helped her mother prepare and serve food to sell, and couldn’t make it to class on time.

Hoping to learn more, I visited her mother and built a relationship with her. One afternoon, I carefully explained that her daughter was missing crucial morning lessons and that it was beginning to affect her grades. Together, we agreed that the student would come to school first and then help her mother during the morning break. It worked and she was able to attend school for the full day.

But then one day, the student stopped attending school entirely. I visited her home and she opened up to me, explaining that financial pressures on her family meant she was leaving school to work in the city as a porter. I was very concerned, as this path for many girls leads straight to exploitative relationships and early marriage.

I didn’t give up. I continued to build trust with her family, and encouraged the student to sit her high school qualifying exams. She achieved one of the best results in the entire community! Today, she is thriving at senior high school.

The power of a local role model

I know the power a local role model carries. They are the people we are inspired by and whose footsteps we want to follow – whether in education, entrepreneurship, or a career. Imagine never having one; without a visible role model nearby, you cannot dream beyond what you see. That was the reality for so many girls in my community.

Today, parents trust me to support their children to make decisions around school and career paths. Young people come to me for homework help and guidance. I am proud to be a role model for the next generation.

My goal is to become a policymaker in Ghana’s education sector, bringing ideas that will make education more accessible, relevant, and transformative for communities like mine. I also want to establish an organization that gives back directly to rural communities and creates opportunities, especially for vulnerable girls.

I believe that poverty can be overcome and that education is the most powerful tool we have to do it. This belief is what I am building my life around.