350 students, drawn from basic schools in the Asutifi North and South Districts of the Ahafo Region under the Girls Empowerment and Advocacy Platform (GEAP), have been empowered to make the best career decisions.

At a career fair in Hwidiem, the students, including 280 girls, were also enlightened about what goes into the selection of a career.

Personnel from the Security Services, Health Services, Education services, Mining Industry, and Legal professionals, among others, engaged the students in their work.

The career fair, organized by the Coalition of Maternal Health and Citizen Empowerment (CMCE), in collaboration with ActionAid Ghana, also gave the students the opportunity to interact with the personnel to understand what they want to do in the future and the need to take their studies seriously to climb the academic and career ladder.

“We have observed that most of them attend school but do not know the available professions. So we mobilized the professionals to share the ethics of their career and what it takes for one to get there”, Mahama Salaam, the Executive Director of CMCE, explained.

He said the GEAP platform is to build the capacity of the students, mostly girls, and empower them to make the right choice.

He also said their focus is on the girls because they are vulnerable, as some of them could drop out of school due to teenage pregnancies.

Mr. Salam, however, said parents have crucial roles to play to guide and shape their children if they are to achieve their goals and become responsible adults in the future.

He noted that CMCE has plans to bring together some teenage mothers to share their experiences with the girls under the GEAP program to help them avoid making similar mistakes that could affect their education and future.

“It would also help them to focus on their studies to achieve the career they dream of”, he said.

The GES Girl Child Coordinator at the Asutifi South District, Rosemary Kwakye, appealed to stakeholders including the Traditional leaders to help expand the program to cover more students in the Districts. She said the exposure offered to the students would go a long way toward shaping their future.

On her part, Bertha Gyan, the Promotion Officer at the Asutifi South District, expressed delight in the enthusiasm shown by the students who appreciated the various aspects of the professions.

She said, as ladies, they are confronted with a lot of challenges from the house, parents, and their peers.

“If we have been able to do something and are still trying to push further, I am hopeful they can also do much with hard work and perseverance”, she said.

Some of the students said the career fair has given them confidence and helped them to know what to do and where to reach in life with education as the guide.