This project was borne out of an OCA girl’s empowerment initiative to encourage girls to pursue education beyond primary school as it is invaluable resource which will create opportunities of gainful employment, economic self-sufficiency and instill an awareness of their value as individuals and their unlimited potential.  OCA launched the first campaign in the Akropong school district of Greater Accra in July 2007.  Purses filled with 1 Ghana Cedi (the equivalent to 1 US Dollar) were distributed to 96 girls in the Junior Secondary School with the following message inside;

This purse is a gift for you. You may not have money to put in it now, but you will. The idea is that you will empower yourself by attaining an education, so that one day you will find work which you enjoy.  You will earn money, and you will choose where to spend that money.  You will have a voice in your community, and that voice will be heard.

Each girl was asked to come to the front of the classroom, state their name and what they wanted to be when they grew up. Their peers applauded them and they were then presented with a purse. Currently, money remains the greatest obstacle to girls gaining access to education in rural Ghana.  Although primary education is free, there remains the cost of school fees and uniforms, which many families cannot afford.  When families have the difficult decision to make of which of their children to send to school, it is often boys that are given preference. The situation is far worse in junior and secondary school where school fees are much higher.  Unfortunately the message being given to many young girls throughout  Ghana is that compared to boys, they are not worthy of an education. This serves to undervalue the extraordinary contribution women make in Ghanaian society and significantly undermines their potential to empower themselves so that their voices are heard in greater and stronger numbers.

To make a donation towards this project click on this link