Do not showcase demeaning image of children — GES

The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Stephen Adu, has expressed concern about some non-governmental organisations that showcase only the negative side of the Ghanaian society to the outside world, particularly when the issues concernd schoolchildren.

He said there had been so many instances where NGO’s showcased demeaning images of Ghana to the outside world, especially on children after they had come to do their humanitarian works.

“There are many positive stories and brighter sides of the country that the NGOs need to show to the world,” he stated.

Girl empowerment

Mr Adu was speaking at a ceremony to close a month-long programme aimed at empowering girls.

Organised by the International Business Machines (IBM), an international IT company in collaboration with the United States Peace Corps in Ghana, the programme was aimed at empowering girls to help in bringing out the best in them.

The programme, which was mainly consultations, saw a team of IBM members working on several projects with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and government agencies on female empowerment and mentorship.

The team, as part of the activities, designed programmes to promote education, training and opportunities for young women, especially those in the disadvantaged environment.

Mr Adu commended the IBM and the Peace Corps for the laudable programme, saying girl-child education was paramount to the GES, hence the setting up of the Girls Education Unit.

"Let Girls Learn"

In her address, the IBM’s Country General Manager for Ghana, Ms Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, said the initiative was to promote girl empowerment.

She said it was also intended to advance the local version of the "Let Girls Learn" project, an initiative launched by the U.S. President and U.S. First Lady in 2015.

 “Let Girls Learn strives to eliminate the barriers 62 million girls worldwide face when trying to receive education,” she said.

Ms Kyerematen-Jimoh noted that the programme formed part of the company’s Corporate Service Corps to provide problem-solving support from IBM's top employees to educational institutions, small businesses, non-governmental organisations, and governmental agencies in emerging markets.

 “IBM is once again delighted to be an enabler and a positive influence on the Ghanaian government’s plans for social growth and development, particularly for the young girls”, she said.