Camfed Association (CAMA) has supported about 57,000 young people with bursary support to return to school.

The association supported these young people with school items and skill equipment for those who prefer a trade. They also supported about 3,000 students who are not in the Camfed operation area as part of their philanthropic work.

This was disclosed by the National Secretary Shakirat Ali Pelpuo at the association's annual general meeting held in Tamale on Thursday, November 7.

She said the philanthropic work in areas out of Camfed Operation was to help the vulnerable young people, especially girls experience the impact Camfed was making in communities.

"As part of our philanthropic work, Camfed association was able to support 3,000 young people with bursary funds. But these particular schools were not Camfed partner schools but we try to go to other districts that Camfed is not operating such that they the feel the impact Camfed and the impact it's making," she said.

The National Secretary said they were not just empowering other young children but also supporting their members to excel in their endeavours.

"In as much as we are trying to help others, we as Camfed association members are also empowering ourselves.

"So we have two Camfed association members that were called to the bar, two graduated as chartered accountants, and this Tamale metro alone this year we have five graduating as doctors while one participated in the Mandala Washington fellowship in the US," the Secretary said.

The Camfed Association is an association of girls who have received support from Camfed to return to school or to learn a trade. These are normally vulnerable and marginalised girls who without the Camfed support would have been out of school.

The support given by Camfed to girls starts from the basic school level to the tertiary level. These beneficiaries after school join the association and intern help give back to society.

Shakirat Pelpuoalso highlighted various initiatives undertaken over the past year, including public education on malaria, clean-up exercises, distributing mosquito coils to residents in Gusheigu, and back-to-school campaigns aimed at encouraging students to return to school.

Emmanuella Addo, the District Operations Officer for Agona East, explained that CAMA was established to empower young women to drive positive change within their communities, noting that the association has developed learner guides in four key areas to support and direct their program activities.

The Operations Officer identified the agriculture guide, business guide, transition guide, and learner guide as foundational platforms that inspire and guide their initiatives.

"The annual general meeting is looking at our guide programs, and how they are helping them implement most of our activities to develop marginalised girls we have four guide programs.

"We have the agricultural guide program, the business guide program, the transition guide program and the learner guide program," she said.

Madam Addo said the learner guide allows a Camfed support beneficiary volunteer to teach students in the junior high school or the senior high school to develop their inbuilt character and abilities to help shape them up to take leadership roles.

She also explained how the transition guide helps young people make decisions on their education and career paths.

On the business guide, she said it helps shape their entrepreneurial skills while the agriculture bid helps to equip them with agribusiness and smart farming.