The World Food Programme operating in the three northern regions, has sponsored 15 girls to second circle institutions.
The girls, who performed well in the 2009 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), were presented with 400.00 Ghana Cedis each and course books to pursue their various programmes.
This was made known during the 8th annual Ghana Education Service and World Food Programme awards for brilliant girls at Wiaga in the Builsa
District of the Upper East Region.
The Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awini, noted that the introduction of an award scheme by WFP was to promote girl-child
education and to improve school enrolment, attendance and retention among pupils in most deprived communities in Ghana.
She noted that the programme would boost girl-child education in the country, as it had already encouraged a tremendous increase in enrolment in schools from 9,071 in 1998/99 to 46,105 in 2004/05 academic years, saying that the retention rate had also improved over the years.
The Minister said even though the Ghana School Feeding Programme had come on board, the WFP had not relented in its support to the three Northern Regions by complementing government's effort in taking two days out of the five days on site feeding, as well as take home ration in selected beneficiary schools.
Ms. Mei Yue, Head of the WFP Sub-Office in Ghana, said WFP believed that girls' education was critical to lifting societies out of endemic
hunger, poverty and violence into food security and self-reliance, since the benefit of their education extend beyond themselves to their children, the family, and society.
Ms Yue noted that the targeted date of 2015 for achieving the millennium development goal was drawing near, and the WFP was determined to
achieve it.
She said as the economic crises were pushing more families under the poverty line the challenges of keeping poor children in school were greater, and appealed to stakeholders in the educational sector, to do their best to sustain the achievements of educational interventions.
She urged parents to continue to support the education of their daughters, and try to reduce household chores, so that they can have more
time to study.
The District Chief Executive for Talensi-Nabdam, Mrs. Vivian Anafo, said Municipal and District Assemblies had shown commitment to the
girl-child education and were therefore prepared to collaborate with all organizations, NGO's and other development partners, to ensure quality
education for the girl-child.
Mrs. Anafo called on young ladies in school to live a disciplined life so as to become women of substance in future.
She advised them to suspend all material things and pleasure, and pay attention to their books.
She entreated the girls to resist pressure from society and parents, who due to ignorance and selfish interest would want to end their education.