The Girl Power Project of Porridge & Pens Ghana has been awarded the coveted “Beacon of Hope” award at the 3rd edition of the Ghana Philanthropy Awards.

The matching applauds that followed the announcement of the award, reflect the lasting impact the project has garnered supporting hundreds of young girls in the Ashanti Region whose aspirations were overshadowed by poverty and hardship.

The awards night saw more than 50 individuals and organizations recognized for their extraordinary contributions to societies, with the Girl Power Project standing out in the category of “Beacon of Hope”.

Around 30% of children in the Ashanti region struggle to access basic education, resulting from long cycles of poverty.

Porridge & Pens Ghana, recognizing that free and safe access to education is essential to breaking the chains of hardships and inequalities is providing quality education and training to over 400 children and young people.

At the heart of Porridge & Pens Ghana, is the Girl Power Project offering refuge, dignity, and a chance for a better future to young girls and women who are vulnerable to societal inequalities.

The project provides educational support, shelter, food, medical care, and emotional support to facilitate beneficiaries’ aspirations.

The 3rd edition of the Ghana Philanthropy Awards, organized by The Business Executive Group, seeks to recognize individuals and companies that play a significant role in promoting humanity's growth and development, positively impacting their communities.

The Ghana Philanthropy Awards saw through the positive effects, appreciating the project as the “Beacon of Hope”.

Girl Power Director, Claudia Durowaa Opoku-Mensah says the recognition is an opportunity for greater impacts.

"It was a very beautiful and inspiring event shedding more light on the impact of NGOs in Ghana. We hope this will be the first of many and this will open much greater doors for Girl Power. This award isn't just for the team, it's for every single person who supported us, our sponsors, donors, volunteers, our team, our advisory board and every girl that has gone through our programme and represented Girl Power,” she said.

The organisation sums its impact from four projects: the Girl Power Project, the Startup Project, the Brightlingsea Academy and brighter futures.

The Girl Power Project supports over 80 girls and young women from ages 5-30 through their education on a holistic programme and refuge Centre.

The Brightlingsea Academy provides free and disability-safe schools to 350 children aged between 6 months and 14 years.

Through the Start-Up programme beneficiaries are supported to grasp employment opportunities to create their own income, whilst the Brighter Futures, provides bright young men with the resources to attend university.