Girl child education in the Nanumba North and South Districts
of the Northern Region of Ghana has improved, following sterling academic
performances chalked by schools in the area as a result of the formation of
Girls’ clubs that campaigned against girls abuse and gender inequality.
The formation of the clubs also
contributed to the bridging of a yawning gender disparity gap that long existed
in the two districts as there is currently increased enrolment and retention of
girls in most schools.
International Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) ActionAid
Ghana in collaboration with its local partner Songtaba, through several years
of hard work had made tremendous contributions towards reducing violence
against girls in schools in the districts that led to increase in enrolment of
girls in school and also improvement in academic performance.
Speaking to this blogger in an interview, Musah
Rukaya, a teacher and Girls’ Club Mentor of the Nasamba Primary School, said
the initiative by the two organizations had encouraged many girls in the area
to enroll and remain in school.
She explained that, the clubs did
not only teach good morals and other forms of socialization, but also educated
girls about their rights hence increasing their level of confidence that
enabled them to rise up and demand their rights.
Available statistics at the Nasamba Primary
School indicated that the number of girls enrolled since 2008 outnumbered the
number of boys, a phenomenon that was not common especially in most communities
in Northern Ghana.
In the 2008/2009 academic year, the
number of girls enrolled was 195 against 182 boys, but in 2009/2010 the number
of girls increased to 219 with that of boys marginally increasing to 211. Also,
in the 2012/2013 academic year the number of girls further increased to 234
against 227 boys.
The
28 year old teacher made these revelations to this reporter who was part of a
team of journalists in Nasamba in the Nanumba North District during a visit to
acquaint themselves with the performance of ActionAid and Songtaba with regards
to the implementation of their projects.
The
Girls Club concept by the two NGOs was initiated under the Stop Violence
Against Girls in School (SVAG) through Community Advocacy Teams (CAT), an
intervention that contributed positively to enrolment, improved gender parity,
enhanced academic performance and educate girls on their basic human rights and
personal upkeep.
Nasamba
is 18kilometres from Wulensi and 6kilometres from Bimbila. It shares boundaries
with Kabilya to the North, Binda to the South, Graikpe to the East and Banvim
to the West. The community is predominantly a farming community with yam and
maize being the major crops cultivated. Women in this area engage in petty
trading, smallholder farming, shea butter extraction and Dawadawa processing.
A
12 year-old girl, Fuseni Azara of the Nasamba Primary School, also confirmed to Savannahnews the opportunity offered her through the girls’ club to
learn new things at several places she visited. According to her, the club helped
her severally to achieve academic laurels through reading which has built her
confidence level. “They give us books and teach us how to read.
Initially I couldn’t read but through annual girls’ camps and clubs, I can now
read well. I benefit from the girls club to learn new things I didn’t know, to
see beautiful environment and it will also help you to come and tell your
colleagues to learn hard and become somebody in future. All these we had it
from ActionAid. They also carry us to several cities so I know a lot of places
and people” she narrated.
Azara
said through the Girls’ Camps/Clubs, they were taught how to handle their
menstrual cycles to prevent them from being disgraced in public.
Meanwhile,
13 Girls’ Clubs and CATs had been formed in the Nanumba North and South Districts
respectively, to strengthen the capacities of pupils particularly girls to be aware
of their rights and defend them when abused.
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