The celebration which was held under the theme, “Be bold for change” included guiding the students to be assertive, confident, and supporting them to take up leadership positions and careers paths that they intimidated to follow.

Ms Yolanda Zoleka Cuba, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, addressing the girls at the mentoring programme, asked them to think about individuals who even though were from broken or poor homes, have made it in life and inspire themselves with it.

She said: “Someone studied with candle light and succeeded. Don’t only sleep and dream but chase your dreams when you wake up”.

Ms Zoleka Cuba urged them to make good use of every opportunity that comes their way and take actions and decisions like leaders everywhere they find themselves.

“Try to associate yourselves with people who act as leaders and fight towards achieving good dreams in your various schools and homes.

 “You girls are lucky now because you have been born in an era when women are empowered, so fight to achieve your dreams, because no dreams come through by themselves, but because we work for them,” she said.

Ms Ashiokai Akrong, Human Resource Director of Vodafone Ghana, speaking to the GNA in an interview, explained that the programme was meant to encourage the girls to stand up for leadership positions, adding that “the fact that one is shy at a corner doesn’t mean that person doesn’t have anything to contribute”.

She noted that the mentors, who were made up of staff of Vodafone Ghana from Management to Customer Care level, would have subsequent checks on the girls to ensure that the girls were developing well. 

He disclosed that the mentoring programme was part of their numerous programmes outlined for the weeklong celebration, such as a global teleconference for women at Vodafone across the world, to deliberate on how to make the network more attractive and beneficial to women.

She said the celebration also included a “he for she” proramme, an initiative to get more women such as those who decided to take career breaks back into the workforce.  

Ms Akrong mentioned the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the Ghana Technology University College and the University of Ghana as some of the tertiary institutions the company has partnered with to allow students undertake internship programmes and attain better opportunities afterwards.

She said the company has also initiated a generous maternity policy where places of solace have been created for lactating mothers to have time with their babies at the various Vodafone offices, adding that they have also organised a legal and financial time with experts, for the public especially women, to ask questions on how well to manage their finances and legal matters.