How the DofE has improved gender equality and access to education in Ghana

The DofE was first brought to Ghana 47 years ago, when it was given the name Head of State Award Scheme (HOSA). Being familiar with the DofE, Tunde Folawiyo is doubtless aware that over the decades, the award scheme has given over 180,000 young people in Ghana the opportunity to reach their potential, and gain practical skills which have helped them in both their professional and personal lives.

The efforts of participants have also had an enormously positive impact on many of Ghana’s towns and villages, particularly with regard to gender inequality, poverty and education. The former is a particularly significant problem in this country; more often than not, women have no option but to bear the burden of all of the household duties, and have little time left for education or socialising. The rate of illiteracy among Ghanaian women is 15% higher than among Ghanaian men, and while about 50% of men complete secondary school, only 29% of women make it past their primary education.

Tunde FolawiyoOne of the HOSA participants, Patricia Yeboah, decided to focus her Service project on helping marginalised women in Ghana to share their experiences and stories with the world, through photographs. This has not only helped to raise awareness of the country’s educational issues, but has also provided many young Ghanaian women with a creative and social outlet. The project is still running today, with groups of women meeting each weekend at local schools, to explore the art of photography.

Two university students from Ghana, Esther Chinebuah and Alice Agyiri, also used their HOSA award projects to help others. After some careful research, they observed that the people in the region of Pampaso were experiencing severe hardship; basic amenities like clean water, shelter and food were unavailable to many. Those who keep up to date with this award programme, like Tunde Folawiyo, might remember that these two students decided to launch a campaign called Take Action, which enabled them to share the story of the Pampaso people with the general public.

The first stage involved actively encouraging people around the country to donate food and clothing to the area’s most impoverished families. Following this, they set to work on the second stage, which consisted of supporting a government-led school lunch programme that now provides Pampaso students with one nutritious meal each day, for free. Lastly, they spoke to many parents in the local community, and helped them to understand the importance of sending their children to school. At the end of the campaign, over 60 new students had enrolled in the primary and secondary schools, and had been provided with the necessary school supplies and uniforms.

How the DofE is changing young people’s lives in Ghana

The Ghanaian version of the DofE – known as the Head of State Award Scheme – has been in operation since 1967. Over the decades, more than 180,000 young people have taken part in it, and in doing so, have developed the life skills and practical knowledge that they need to succeed in life. The scheme’s committee has created a framework for the individuals, which celebrates rather than suppresses the unique gifts that each individual participant has. With the support of volunteer leaders and stakeholders, they are now working hard to increase the number of young people in the scheme; within the next six Tunde Folawiyoyears, they hope that at least 5% of those aged between 14-24 in Ghana will be involved.

Being from Africa, Tunde Folawiyo is doubtless aware that whilst young people account for approximately 26% of Ghana’s population, there are currently very few urban employment opportunities for those who are in their teens or early twenties. All too often, this band struggles to make enough money in order to survive. The Head of State Award Scheme gives these people hope, by providing them with experiences which not only build character, but also enable them to become skilled in whichever subject takes their interest. This in turn, increases their chances of finding better paying work.

A young woman named Charity serves as a shining example of how effective the scheme is in helping people to uncover their talents, and increase their self confidence. Prior to her participation, Charity was a very quiet and shy girl, who rarely gave much thought to how she could positively impact her school, or her local community. However, as she progressed through each stage of the Award, she became far more interested in helping others. As someone who is familiar with the DofE, Tunde Folawiyo understands how dramatically the volunteer section can affect a person’s outlook. The 70 hours which Charity spent volunteering in the Governmental Hospital made her more aware of, and compassionate towards those suffering from serious illnesses.

The skills which she acquired have also had an enormously positive impact on Charity’s life. As she completed this section at the GBC (Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation), she learned a great deal about things such as TV camera work, and photo journalism. The sports section – which she was initially less than enthused about – turned out to be a very enjoyable experience as well, and led to her not only becoming physically stronger, but also more disciplined and focused.

Folawiyo is a strong proponent of youth development programmes like the DofE. For further information about this entrepreneur, visit Slideshare Tunde Folawiyo page.