Rita Abamah: If you want development everywhere, then the most effective tool is girls’ education - Video Transcript
Rita Abamah, Girls’ Education Officer, Ghana If you want development everywhere, then the most effective tool is girls’ education. Because when girls are educated, the entire community benefits.
As I’m here, I’m serving several people, and they are benefiting. My name is Rita. In all the districts [in Ghana], we have the Girls Education Unit. I am in charge of that unit to ensure that girls also have the opportunity to access formal education.
Growing up, it wasn’t easy for me to have an education. So I thought that it was good for me to take up the role, share my experiences with girls, so that it will encourage them to also come to school and become responsible in future.
We are supposed to monitor the schools from time to time – visit them and ask, “Are your girls all there?Are they doing well? Are there challenges that we need to know and help address?”
We identify those who are pregnant and have dropped [out of school], and then we go to their homes, try to talk to the girls, “You can still make it.” With the support of the parents, the school, and all of us, the girl can still achieve her dream. My relationship with CAMFED started way back in 2011.
The moment CAMFED entered the district, I was involved. Now in Ghana, we don’t pay [school] fees, but CAMFED is still supporting. So we still have the opportunity to select needy girls, and they are supported with educational materials for them to stay in school and then complete.
Now when it comes to selection, the DEC [District Education Committee] is also involved. We come together with CAMA [the CAMFED Association], we visit the schools, then we do the selection.
Then from time to time, when CAMA [the CAMFED Association] has programs and they want us to be part, they invite us and we are part. When they need support or advice from us, they contact us and then we offer it. So we work closely together.
So they [ the Learner Guides] are into visiting the schools and then talking to the girls. Any time they want to enter any school, they tell us, then we write and inform the schools that CAMFED is bringing a Learner Guide to your school. Please welcome them and find a place in your timetable so that they can have their sessions.
The girls [Learner Guide] step in and ensure that every student – boys and girls – are given basic things that they need to know to be able to succeed in their lessons, such as how to study, how to value yourself, how to respect others and then they are able to stay in school.
But because they are saying, “You can also be a leader. Girls can also lead,”. it’s motivating our girls to go into leadership, compete and then win elections and serve as leaders. So if you educate a girl, the girl eventually becomes a woman and everything around her becomes better.