Thirteen female students who were on the verge of dropping out of school due to financial constraints have support from a local NGO to pursue their ambition.
Girls Education Initiative of Ghana, GEIG, is assisting the under-privileged junior high school students in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions up to tertiary level.
Fourteen- year old Martha Frimpong of Esreso D/A 2 JHS in Kumasi, is one of the beneficiaries.
She has had to stay in and out of school to sell water to support her widowed mother who trades in cassava to make a living and support the family.
Martha’s father died when she was just five years, leaving mother to struggle to raise money to cater for her five children.
Dropping out of school and joining many children already in the streets was becoming obvious for Martha and 12 others until local NGO, GEIG, intervened.
She and the other beneficiaries explain to Luv News the exciting gesture from the organization could not have been more timely.
“We are excited by what GEIG has done for us. They have paid our school fees and given us books.”
“My teachers used to punish me because I owe. I used to sacrifice my feeding me for books and go hungry. Their help is really a relief to us”, they explained.
Some of the parents of these lucky children were grateful
The scholarship package for the girls, some of whom have special needs, covers financial and tuition support.
Seven students from Ashanti and six from Greater Accra Regions have benefitted from the scheme since its inception two years ago.
Founder of the NGO, Elizabeth Akua Nyakoah- Patterson, who is herself physically challenged, says it is her dream to advance the cause of female child education.
“The motivation is to give opportunities to girls who need genuine help, those who are disabled or have special abilities and just need that little push from someone.”
Ms. Patterson and her team are hopeful to expand the organisation’s dream nationwide.
“The need is not just in Kumasi and Accra but almost every part of the country so it my hope we expand to other regions soon but we need support.”
Meanwhile, her efforts toward girl child education have attracted many admiration from all over the world earning her a number of nominations.
Ms. Patterson has therefore been nominated for Vlisco Women’s Month, an annual exercise that honour African women who have the courage to turn their dreams into reality despite daily challenges faced them.
It targets the achievements of women in West and Central Africa.
Chosen by public vote, the winner becomes the Vlisco Brand Ambassador 2015. The winners will be revealed at the end of March and beginning of April.
So one all should vote Elizabeth to short code 1759 to increase her chances of winning.
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