Linda Aterek

Linda Aterek first community service

On 24th August, 2023. I embarked on my community service at Enchi market.

I decided to do an education on Girl Child Education, In this town, most girls tend to sacrifice their education to farm, carry items at galamsey(illegal mining) sites, and hawk for parents because it gives them quick money.  I chose the market because on market days I could capture a lot of parents with most girls also found there selling their harvested products, together with parents.

I saw it to be very sensitive to educate parents on the need to get the girl child educated and the importance of education to the girl child and encourage them to pursue their dreams. I made them understand That when the girl child is enrolled in school the girl-child is provided with diverse basic knowledge, skills, and training that contribute to national development. An educated girl child can only grow through a literate woman who has a greater chance of breaking the cycle of social vices by passing good knowledge to her daughter. 

They could also learn vocational skills which is an informal education that could help unearth their talents and enable them to obtain a skill so they could also contribute meaningfully to the society’s development. 

I used myself as an example being a female and studying mechanical engineering was a plus because there is this African mindset that engineering is studied by only the male gender.   

Many raised the concern that there was no money to help them enroll the girl child in school and told them not to take poverty as an excuse to prevent them from going to school because off late there are many scholarship opportunities from numerous organizations out there that are ready to help needy but brilliant students achieve their goal. I used JEQ as an example of which myself is a beneficiary.

I throw up the challenge to them to embrace education wholeheartedly and encourage them to look up to other prominent females who have made it or achieved so much in life as a result of education which included Doc. Elizabeth Quansah, Her Excellency the First Lady, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Sarfo just a few to mention.

Find attached below some pictures I took during the process. 

Thank you.