The CAMFED Ghana and Mastercard Foundation through Scholars Program Partners Convening, has unlocked the potential of a critical mass of academically bright yet disadvantaged young women from rural Ghana through secondary and tertiary education, as well as enrichment and service leadership opportunities.
The Scholars Program was designed to build a network of visionary educators at second cycle schools and universities who share the objective of inclusive, equitable and high quality education.
The Program further provided a unique platform to create an alumnae network that catalyzed the transformative power of individual scholars.
The CAMFED, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program launched in 2012, was to provide comprehensive support to 4,000 girls through Senior High School and 2,000 young women through tertiary education.
The Program sought to empower girls and young women with the necessary skills to become leaders of change and the Scholars were selected from 32 districts across 12 regions of Ghana.
In a welcome address at the Scholars Program Partners Convening, the National Director for CAMFED, Madam Fairuza Safian indicated that, the Scholars Program provided full scholarships, psychosocial support services, personal development support, career services, networking opportunities, and leadership development training to girls and young women.
She added that the Program also created pathways for the Scholars’ transition to dignified jobs, entrepreneurship, or further education. “The Scholars gained skills, values and competencies necded to succeed in the economy and make positive social impacts in their communities”.
The Scholars Program Madam Fairuza mentioned, is aimed to strengthen the educational system in Ghana saying, to achieve this, CAMFED Ghana worked with secondary schools, tertiary institutions, government, and other stakeholders to design interventions that would create a more supportive environment in which all young people, including marginalized girls and women, could thrive.
On his part, the Guest of Honour, the Yapiewura, Dr A.B.T Zakaria averred that through Scholars Program initiative, CAMFED Ghana has been able to support 4035 young women in Secondary component and 2140 young women under the tertiary component, exceeding the targeted figure.
The Yapiewura further disclosed that, the initiative have produced a lot of teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers engineers, lectures and farmers in the country to touch lives.
The selected young women he emphasised, did not only receive full financial support and educational resources for their duration but, were also equipped with soft skills to enable them compete their peers and serve as transformational leaders in any where they find themselves.
He revealed that the innovation was to create an alumnae network of next generation achievers and leaders, committed to service and catalyze the transformative of individual Mastercard Foundation Scholars at CAMFED Ghana and also to instill the spirit of give-back into scholars through leadership skills, work skills, social and emotional competence as well as community service.
He therefore, expressed appreciations to all the partners especially Mastercard Foundation and CAMFED Ghana for the brillent initiative and life-impacting partnership that has positively affected the lives of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars and others.
