Four basic schools in both Talensi and Nabdam Districts of the Upper East Region are benefiting from a career day event being spearheaded by the Widows and Orphans Movement with support from ActionAid Ghana
So far, two schools have benefited from the career day event with Kotintabig Primary and Junior High School being the first to benefit from the engagement. The latest school to have learners interact with professionals is the Nyogbare Primary and Junior High Schools which event came off on Thursday, October 24, 2024.
Kulpelga and Dapoore cluster of schools in the Talensi District will take their turn on the 29th and 30th of October 2024 respectively.
In what is a departure from the career day events of basic schools, where the learners are made to buy the costume of their preferred profession, this event by Widows and Orphans had an accomplished fashion designer, an army officer, and a medical doctor, who took turns to engage the learners.
At Nyogbare Primary and Junior High School, Christiana Ayaaba Anaba, a fashion designer, Staff Sagent Fosu Kwame of the Ghana Armed Forces, and Dr. Gibil Bertha, a pediatrician at the Upper East Regional Hospital all took turns to share their experiences and encourage the learners to remain focused and learn.
Nancy Amiziah, a Project Officer with Widows and Orphans, noted that the exercise came about following observation that some school children are leaving the classroom for galamsey pits, especially in the two districts.
She explained that it is to encourage the learners to remain in school and strive to be better in the future.
According to the project officer, it is a worry to have learners drop out to engage in illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey.
She added that the feedback from previous editions is positive as school authorities talk about the constant request of learners to see the people, who came to engage them
“This is meant to motivate the students to be in school. We have most of the boys dropping out of school to engage in galamsey and other activities and not taking their studies seriously. This is to allow the children to familiarize themselves with professions that are not so common to them to serve as an inspiration to these children to stay in school and persevere. Our monitoring visits to schools, where we had this program show that there is an improvement because some of the heads tell us that the children keep asking about when they are returning to engage them again,” she noted.
Speaking to Dreamz News on the sidelines of the engagement, Christiana Ayaaba Anaba, a fashion designer, raised concern about the desire of the youth to get rich quickly, which leads them to engage in hazardous activities of crime.
“The young boys and girls of today want quick money and without hard work and determination, you cannot get to your destination. Fashion is a good area and I will urge parents to ensure their children get the best of education because it’s important for growth,” she stressed.
Dr. Gibil Bertha described the engagement as an opportunity to be encouraged by people, who have gone through similar experiences but are doing well for themselves.
She urged parents to support their children to grow and be useful to society.
Encouraged by the engagement with the professionals, Benedicta Sampanbire, and Modesta Bahizabre, who are in Basic 3 at the Nyogbare Junior High School, have resolved to work to become medical doctors
