Day of the Girlchild: The NGO transforming lives of girls in northern Ghana

The story is told of a young woman who not only falls in love with a man of her dreams, but also with his village.

Thus Charity Sedinam Mammara (nee Hohoabu) having fallen in love with the village of Binde, but more with the untapped potential of the youth, formed, The Charity Center for Capacity Building and Development (CHACDET).

CHACDET, with one basic mission; projecting and empowering the youth, community by community, runs a vocational training center for girls in Binde, in the Bunkprugu-Yunyoo district of the Northern Region.

When it was established in 2007, the Ghana Education Service statistics for the location of vocational schools in the northern region, indicated the existence of only one polytechnic in Tamale; 219km from Binde and the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district. Research revealed that the closest Private Technical Institute was in Nalerigu;  about 57.4km from Binde and the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district.

Despite the efforts made by government through free education and free feeding for the basic schools, according to CHACDET, there was still a huge gap that needed filling– the need for significant investment and political recognition by the Ghanaian government and the donor community in providing avenues for acquiring vocational skills after the primary or secondary education for those girls who are unable to continue in the formal educational sector. 

CHACDET runs a vocational school for young girls from the age of 16 who have completed some basic education and need some hands-on skills to begin to make some ends meet to cater for themselves and their families.

The girls are taught dress making, hairdressing as well as some solid grounding in English and Mathematics. These skills are taught by volunteers who live mostly within and around Binde; a source of income for them as well. Thus for 2 years, the enrolled girls receive life transforming education, interlaced with mentorship programmes from successful women from the city, who are a source of inspiration for the girls and their dreams. Within these two years these girls are ‘banned from getting pregnant’, says Mrs Mammara.    

Since 2010, CHACDET has graduated an average of five girls every year. The school currently has about 15 girls in the middle of their two-year curriculum.

Despite the great work being done by CHACDET, the activities of the school have the tendency to slow down and stall in expansion due to the lack of funding. Mainly funded by founder Mrs. Mammara and spouse, the school has not even begun to scratch the surface of its potential as it should.

She reveals that, once a while, some benevolent individuals donate items like sewing machines etc.  She also discloses that accommodation is available for volunteers who may be interested impacting some knowledge, whiles getting some village experience. 

As today marks the international day of the girl child, the efforts of such women to give back to society the opportunities she may have received herself as a young woman, are being touted. These efforts have hopes of being augmented by some good help, from governments, donor agencies, benevolent individuals, other NGOs, etc.  

International Day of the Girl; My Voice, our Equal Future.