An NGO, United Africa Development Aid, is spearheading the development of girls in 20 communities in the Central Region.

The program dubbed, ‘Women’s Voice in Leadership’ seeks to empower girls and women between the ages of 13–25 to enable them realize their dreams in education and also help them to achieve their career goals.

Programs Manager of the NGO, Philippa Abban Gaisie, says the organization will continue to push for the voice of girls to be heard in leadership as well as other decision making endeavours.

The organization has through some engagement with community leaders put together 12-member community activists teams made up of 6 women and 6 men in the 20 communities to enable them spearhead their drive to place girls on a better pedestal.

Thus, a total of 240 activists are working in the 20 communities in the Cape Coast Metropolis and the Twifo Atti-Mokwaa Districts in the Central Region.

The program manager indicates their prime focus is on the girls, especially, those in the rural communities to help give them voices and help build their capacity for the future.

“Those who are supposed to be in school, we would help them to be in school and those who want to learn a trade, we will support them to realize their dreams. Our ultimate aim is to empower them to greater heights so they do not depend on men” she averred.

The Programs Manager further indicates the NGO does not want to leave the girls vulnerable and make them tools that could be manipulated by men.

“We want them to be able to compete with boys and men healthily. We don’t want them to be dependent on men for their survival,” she stressed.

Executive Director of United Africa Development Aid, Wilfred Sarsah, stated their prime aim is to create activists in the various communities so they could continue the work of the organization when their project is done.

“We have trained the community folks to be able to take up the issues about girls and women so they can continue the advocacy and activism,” he assured.

The organization is hoping they could extend the project to other communities to enable them to sustain the empowerment being handed to the girls and the communities at large.

“We want to support government’s vision of supporting girls to attain quality education and leadership positions,” Mr. Wilfred Sarsah ended.