Short story: Never lose hope

Some years ago in the town of Onuado, girl-child education was not considered important. The boys were given the opportunity to go to school, because they would be heads of their respective families in future.

As such, boys had everything they needed to ensure smooth education. On the other hand, it was presumed that the girl’s place was in the kitchen, so there was no need sending her to school.

The few who were sent to school were not given necessary encouragement. It was hard to convince their parents to buy books or the necessary materials they needed for their studies. 

As such, the girls themselves did not have the urge to go to school. During the day, one would find then selling foodstuffs on the main road of the town, while others went to help their parents on the farm.

It was in the village that Nyamekye was born. She was born at a time when the Chief Onuado wanted to ban girl-child education, but for the intervention of the elders. 

Nyamekye, conceive at a time when her mother Eno Serwaa had completely given up hope of having a child, and when it happened that she had a daughter and not a son, her countenance changed.

This was due to the way people in the town perceived girls. But upon second thought, Eno Serwaa realised it was better than having none at all. She also realised she could make a man out of Nyamekye by sending her to school.

For that reason, when Nyamekye became old enough to start school, Eno Serwaa enrolled her in school. Nyamekye turned out to be an outstanding student. She was brilliant and topped her class in almost every exam.

Although she was frustrated regularly by the people by going to school, it never worried her. Life in secondary school turned out to be her worst moment.

The boys in the school and sometimes even school authorities did everything to frustrate her .She was the only girl in the school who attended L/A secondary. She was jeered, bullied and mocked by the boys for wasting her time in school.

Sometimes when she stood up to ask questions in the class, the boys just burst out laughing. Her teachers were sometimes not patient when she asked questions, simply because she was a girl.

But all these things did not deter her. She loved to study and ensured that she rubbed shoulders with the boys in her class. During speech days, she took many prizes just as the other brilliant boys in the school. 

Soon her prowess caught the attention of her teachers who realised that when given the chance, girls could just as well as boys in the school. The inhabitants of the town also realised that, and started sending their daughters to school.

By then, Nyamekye had won a scholarship to study communication at the university. She performed so well that she became a communication consultant to an international organization on completion. She became a role model for young girls in the town.

Periodically, during community gatherings, she addressed the people of Onuado on the importance of girl-chid education and urged them not to neglect their daughters.

Soon, the people completely changed their attitude toward girl-child education and more girls got enrolled in the school.

Today, the town of Onuado, where women were only farmers, traders   and confines to the kitchen, can now boast of female doctors, lawyers, journalist, entrepreneurs and all the professions one could think of.

So parents must acknowledge the fact that girl-child education is important and must send all their daughters to school.                                           

Vera Elorm Buame, Agona Swedru