Asimawu is a 24 year old Science and IT teacher in Ghana. So far, so normal. But there is no normal about Asimawu’s story. Her father died when she was 14, and her mother was left to bring up her two daughters single-handedly. She and her mother had to struggle and sacrifice to make sure she stayed in school. It was down to their grit, stamina, and self-belief that they were able to overcome barriers to ensure Asimawu gained an education. Today her mother is hugely proud of her. She runs an after school girls club and acts as a mentor, providing students with the additional emotional and practical support they need to develop the skills and confidence that will help them stay in education and build a brighter future.
“When I became a teacher I thought that there are other young girls in society who might have similar stories like mine, similar problems, and I want to give back to the community what the community has given me.” Her after school club is funded with cash raised through Sport Relief. It focuses on building their confidence and giving them the opportunity to learn about important topics like healthy relationships and safe sex, things that rarely get discussed at home.
Asimawu says, “The children look up to you and confide in you with problems that they cannot talk about with their parents. Your role is to guide them and encourage them to have a successful education.”
After school girls clubs like these are invaluable because, although the majority of children in Ghana now enroll in primary school, many – especially girls – leave before learning to read and write. In Ghana’s Northern and Upper Eastern regions over half of adolescents aged 15 to 19 are no longer attending school.
Asimawu explains, “Some parents are ignorant about the importance of girls’ education, they feel a girl’s place is still in the house. Girls end up taking care of all the chores and can’t learn because they are too tired”.
Asimawu’s after school club is just one of the many thousands of fantastic projects all over world that Sport Relief cash supports. Run by our parent charity Comic Relief, Sport Relief is a huge fundraising campaign that rolls into town every other year and, thanks to the generosity of the good people of the UK, raises millions of pounds. This year’s Sport Relief is just around the corner (March 21st -23rd). If you would like to find out more, get involved or donate, visit www.sportrelief.com.
