Foundation to help girls develop potential launched
A foundation which seeks to support school girls to develop their potential to the fullest has been launched.
Known as the Toku Foundation, the organisation, before its official launch, had already adopted 26 females from the Western Region.
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Its focus is mainly on females due to society’s preference for males when it comes to education.
Launch
The launch, which took place last Friday, was attended by board members of the foundation, representatives of corporate institutions and some media personalities.
The founder of the foundation, Dr Kwabena Adjei, who is the chairman of Kasapreko Company Limited, noted that many young girls, particularly those in the rural communities, had the desire to complete their education but sadly they had to drop out of school due to several factors, key among them being poverty.
“When we invest in the youth, we are empowering them for their future and that is the best legacy we can leave for them, ” he said.
He said education played a vital role in shaping people and the society and, therefore, investing in it was the way to go.
Socio-cultural factors
He stated that socio-cultural beliefs/ practices and attitudes often did not favour girls in their pursuit of education as compared to boys.
Dr Adjei revealed that in some parts of the country, women were regarded as objects that were obliged to get married as soon as possible and give birth.
He said some deep-rooted gender norms also prevented some households from sending their female children to school under the mistaken belief that the only place for girls was the kitchen.
According to him, all these could be overcome if people were able to change how they perceived their daughters and began to realise the importance of educating them.
“Fighting for girls’ right to education is our joint responsibility, unemployment and poverty of our girls are two concerns of the Ghanaian society and both are the result of not getting the right to complete education,” he stated.
He added that “building a strong educational foundation will help Ghanaians to reach their dream and make Ghana a better country.”
He expressed the hope that with collective efforts, the goal of the Toku Foundation would be attained.
Impacting lives
The Chief Coordinator of the foundation, Mrs Emelia Ohene-Kena, said the organisation was impacting a number of communities in the Western Region.
She indicated that although the main focus of the foundation was on females, some males were also benefiting from the foundation’s scholarship scheme.