The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), a global non-profit foundation committed to advancing children’s rights and eliminating child labour in cocoa-growing communities, has partnered with Inspire Today, a Ghanaian NGO, to promote literacy among girls in rural communities.

As part of activities marking World Literacy Day 2025, observed under the theme “Promoting Literacy in a Digital World”, the two organisations jointly organised a reading and writing competition in Goaso, located in Ghana’s Ahafo Region.

The initiative—the first of its kind in the area—brought together 100 schoolgirls from six rural communities. Participants engaged with Hope for Girls, a book authored by Inspire Today’s founder, Etornam Sey, which was used as the basis for the competition.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Mike Arthur, Country Director of ICI Ghana, emphasised the importance of collaboration in advancing literacy, particularly in underserved communities.

“Our mission is to eliminate child labour and forced labour from cocoa supply chains by partnering with governments, cocoa and chocolate companies, civil society, and communities. Our partnership with Inspire Today is timely, as they are committed to bridging the gender gap in education and promoting girl-child education. Etornam Sey is doing an amazing job, and we felt it was important to support this initiative to keep girls in school and focused on education,” he said.

Each participating student received a school bag, water bottle, educational materials, and a certificate recognising her participation.

In her remarks, Etornam Sey, Executive Director and Founder of Inspire Today, congratulated the students for their enthusiasm and active involvement in the competition.

She described the project as a confidence-building exercise designed to inspire girls to aspire higher and prepare for the future.

“I am excited about today’s project. We engaged six schools across six rural communities in Goaso, and the participation was encouraging. The girls were eager to learn, and their enthusiasm was inspiring. This is our first attempt, and we look forward to rolling it out in other rural communities,” she noted.

World Literacy Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the design of literacy programs and policies in a digital era, ensuring they remain inclusive, relevant, and meaningful for all learners.