Secondary student and aspiring art teacher, Ghana
My name is Sussana and I come from Yendi in the Northern Region of Ghana. I’m the eldest of six children, and I live with my parents. My parents always supported my education, even escorting me to school to make sure I arrived safely, but they struggled to afford everything me and my siblings needed for school like uniforms, books and pens.
I was affected by Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) as a child, and because of this I live with a disability that makes it more difficult for me to write and speak.
I heard about CAMFED when I was in junior high school, when I found out that the organization was helping vulnerable girls. I felt so glad and excited when I learned that I would be supported by CAMFED, because I knew I would have all the school-going materials I need to study and stay in school.
I know that with CAMFED’s support, I will be able to become a teacher in future.
Apart from the physical support sessions, groceries, menstrual pads, and other school-going materials from CAMFED, I’ve also been benefiting from My Better World sessions and counseling and guidance from a Teacher Mentor.
My Better World is a program about your wellbeing. My favorite thing in My Better World is learning about powers, or inner strengths, that every person has within them. My Better World has helped me to set specific goals for my life so I can work towards them.
The My Better World program and mentoring sessions have really impacted on my life. I’m now more confident and have the passion to pursue my dreams.
I first met sister Mariam, who is a Learner Guide, in 2021 when I joined senior high school. She’s bold, confident, and she cares about everyone. I feel free to talk to her about my personal problems outside the class.
“I met Sussana in 2021, on my very first day as a Learner Guide when I stepped into a classroom to deliver a session on My Better World. I asked if anyone would like to share their life story, and Suzy stepped up and shared her story. It was so touching. After the session I met her outside and we spoke one-on-one. She told me her problems, that she wasn’t comfortable sharing her views with her classmates and felt isolated. I could see that she was suffering a lot.
I started mentoring her and told her how she should feel that she can do anything and not give up. Through continuous mentorship, Sussana is now able to be confident in class. I got a friend to always support in her daily activities and she’s now doing well. She’s able to present herself well in class. I always make sure I visit her home to know how she’s managing her home activities and her studies. I speak with her parents, to discuss how she is faring and how to help her to study well at home.”
Find out more about our Learner Guide Program
My life [story] has been a source of inspiration and motivation to girls like Sussana and other young women in my community. I am also an advocate for disability rights in my community and I always champion the importance of education for children with disabilities.— Mariam
“A Teacher Mentor is a teacher who is trained to offer psychological, emotional and academic support to students. I became a Teacher Mentor because I saw that some of the girls in the school needed extra assistance, and I wanted to volunteer.
Sussana is always with me and I always encourage her to take part in every activity in the school. Even with her disability, she can still do what the other students can do. She has inspired me and impacted my life. It has made me understand that we are doing something that has brought a change into her life.
Mariam, a Learner Guide who volunteers in the school, has been very supportive and I’ve always worked in collaboration with her to help Sussana.”
Find out how CAMFED works to to create an inclusive school systemNow I am studying Visual Arts at senior high school. What I enjoy most in Visual Arts is bookbinding, still life drawing, and painting. After I graduate from secondary school I plan on joining the CAMFED Association. I would also like to further my education and become an art teacher.
I hope my story will encourage other young women with disabilities to believe in themselves and know that they can become great people in future. Prior to CAMFED support, I thought I would have dropped out from school. But now my dream of becoming an art teacher is becoming a reality.
Education means giving [all children] an opportunity to become great leaders in future.
I’m Faiza, a recent secondary school graduate from Tamale Metro in Ghana. I have big ambitions of becoming a journalist in the future. With CAMFED support through school, I became empowered to complete my secondary education and start achieving my dreams as an educated, confident young woman.
Now that I am supported by CAMFED at school, I am very hopeful because I know in future I will be somebody, I will be independent and I will be able to support my family and others in my community.
I’m Fatima, a secondary student from Ghana. Today, I am thriving at school alongside my fellow classmates. However, I have faced many challenges throughout my education journey, and I almost did not make it to secondary school.
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When she thrives, we all thrive
Together this giving season, we can make a difference that ripples outward to benefit everyone.
