The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has estimated
that some 24 million children and young people, including more than 11 million girls and
young women were at risk of dropping out of school as a result of COVID-19 school closures
in more than 190 countries. While school has resumed, UNESCO further projects that
currently, 118.5 million girls are out of school.
Adolescence, according to UNICEF, (ages 10-19) is a life stage characterized by growing opportunities, capacities, aspirations, energy, and creativity as well as significant vulnerability.
In Ghana, a lot of progress has been made to bridge the education gap between girls and
boys, and the Jodeb Foundation through the Empowered Girl Series is complementing this national
effort. Empowered Girl Series is a platform to educate girls in underserved
communities on adolescent pregnancy, early and forced marriage, need for education, skills
development and provide quality and equitable learning opportunities for their sustainable growth. Empowered Girl provides an amazing, holistic experience for adolescent girls that will leave them feeling empowered, mindful, and ready to take on the world.
It is designed to provide creative and engaging opportunities for girls to meet and interact
with distinguished women with proven track records of success in their respective fields.
This platform will motivate the girls to advance their education, and unlock their boundless
potential.
PROFILE OF PROJECT AREA
Empowered Girl 2023 will be held in a small village called Kponorkope. Kponorkope is a
suburb of Sega, a beautiful rural village approximately 60 km east of the capital city, Accra.
Male residents of Kponorkope are farmers, hunters, and fishermen whilst the women are
mostly traders although some of them are also engaged in farming activities.
EDUCATION IN THE PROJECT AREA
Kponorkope has no school therefore children of school-going age walk 2 miles to Kadjanya, a
nearby village to attend school.
For many girls in Kponorkope, formal education is more than a window into a better future.
It’s a lifeline. But many girls are denied this opportunity and do not have the chance to get
proper continuous education mainly because of poverty, lack of basic educational supplies,
lack of parental care, absence of mentorship, teenage pregnancy as a result of sexual
harassment, and long distances to school. The aforementioned factors also hinder girls from
completing basic education.
SKILLS TRAINING
Jodeb Foundation and New Vision MSK have joined forces to advance the efforts of the
District Education Ministry and Ghana Education Service to provide quality and equitable
learning opportunities for Girls in Kponorkope.
As part of activities marking this year’s program, participants will be trained in beadwork.
Over 30 girls will receive hands-on skills in how to use beads to make necklaces, wristbands,
earrings, and slippers. This is to ensure that girls acquire sustainable vocational skills.
MENTORSHIP
“Young girls need mentors because they need someone who believes in them. Someone
who’ll look them in the eye, hold their hands and tell them that the sky is their limit and that
they have as many options as the boys around them. At the time when these young minds
are dreaming a thousand dreams, just one person is enough for them to start believing in
themselves,” says Shaziya Shaikh, Fellow at The Gender Lab.
Research shows the many benefits mentoring can have on the girl child, from improved
school attendance and lower dropout rates to higher rates of graduation, high school
enrollment and higher aspirations overall. But the greatest impact of mentoring comes from
showing students what’s possible for their lives. Mentoring is a cornerstone of our work at
Jodeb Foundation.
The mentorship session is structured to help girls further their understanding of sexual
reproductive health, and be responsive to approaches that promote safe menstrual hygiene
during their menstrual period.
Thematic areas to address during the mentorship session includes;
● Sexual and Reproductive Health Education, sexual coercion, sexual violence, and
transactional sex.
● Teenage pregnancy and its effects on the girl child.
● Menstrual Hygiene
● Career goals and development
● Role and responsibilities of adolescent girls in the home, community and at school.
Mentorship topics were selected based on the high level of sexual harassment and abuse
perpetrated against adolescent girls in the program area. Mentors will also make use of
community facilitation tool-kits to enhance the mentorship session.
Empowered Girl Series 2023 is under the theme:
Empowering Girls with skills and information to ignite their inner power and confidence to
thrive and make informed decisions.