“Camp taught me to be proud of myself and not be intimidated by math.” -- Patience (pictured above), one of our scholarship girls in Pokuase who attended leadership camp in 2012.

What We Need

GOAL: Fund scholarships to summer camp for 15 outstanding girls in Ghana - they have already proved themselves in school! Now, you can help them attend a 3-week girls' leadership camp in late July where they will receive educational enrichment opportunities and enhance their self esteem.

The camp is designed to be a transformative experience for girls from impoverished backgrounds in Ghana. Your support will help open the door to a bigger world for girls from small, rural or peri-urban villages with poorly equipped schools, too few teachers or mentors, and fewer opportunities to earn a living or pursue a career.

The camp will be held for 3 weeks, beginning July 25, on the campus of the University of Ghana. The cost per girl to attend the 3-week camp is US$270. All meals are provided, as well as travels costs for a field trip.

What You Get

At higher giving levels, you'll receive fashion or home accessories made by local women artisans in Pokuase whose businesses are supported by microloans from WomensTrust. You can also receive a special hand-made craft by one of the camp girls you help to sponsor.

And, you'll get the satisfaction of knowing you will help fulfill the dreams of promising young girls living in poverty in Africa who can't afford what many children in the US take for granted: going to school, and going to camp.

Want to Know More?

About

Since 2003, WomensTrust has focused on empowering disadvantaged women and girls in Ghana, West Africa through financial inclusion, education and access to healthcare -- the tools that empower low-income people to sustain their climb out of poverty.

One of our programs provides education scholarships to girls in the village of Pokuase that cover the costs of their schooling. In the 2013-2014 academic year, we provided scholarships to 200 girls to help keep them in school.

Watch our short video to learn more about our scholarship program.

About Leadership Camp

Sponsored by the College of Ama, a Ghanaian non-profit organization that provides educational enrichment and leadership programs for underprivileged  girls in Ghana, this year's camp will bring together 30 girls, who will live for 3 weeks on the campus of the University of Ghana.

Girls attending the camp hail from rural villages like Pokuase, where schools are overcrowded and understaffed, and more girls than boys drop out of school after the 8th grade.

Strengthening the girls' aptitude in core subjects is the camp's main objective, along with building their confidence and self-esteem. The camp's faculty include volunteer instructors from the university, along with other counseling professionals, who oversee the girls' studies and activities.

During the 2012 summer camp, the girls toured  Ghana's  capital city, Accra, to learn more about how the government works. The girls visited with members of Parliament, and even had a surprise encounter and photo-op with former UN Ambassador Kofi Annan, who happened to be there that same day!

Why Support Girls in Ghana?

Ghana is regarded as a beacon of hope on a continent with more than its share of conflict and despair. As one of Africa's most stable democracies, Ghana also has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Yet poverty remains endemic, and girls in particular are being left behind.

• Just 44% of girls in Ghana go on to high school, and fewer than 2% ever complete their secondary education. 
• Drop-out rates for girls after junior high school are far higher in rural villages and peri-urban areas like the village of Pokuase, where public schools are typically underfunded, overcrowded, and ill-equipped (one book for every 10 students, one teacher for 50 or more students, no lunches provided, and inadequate or no toilet facilities).
• The illiteracy rate among females ages 15-24 is nearly twice as high as that of males in Ghana (20% vs. 10%).
• Early pregnancy is one of the leading reasons girls in Ghana don't finish their education.  

The Impact

Our goal is simple:  to empower more girls in Ghana to stay in school, finish their basic education, graduate from high school, and build a better future for themselves.

Research clearly shows that when girls are educated, all quality-of-life indicators improve: Educated women have smaller families, live longer and healthier lives, earn more stable incomes, and strengthen communities.

"Girls' education can, in effect, almost double the formal labor force,"  notes New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. "It boosts the economy, raising living standards and promoting a virtuous cycle of development."

Other Ways You Can Help

You can also contribute to our "Send Our Scholarship Girls in Ghana to Summer Camp" campaign by:

• Spreading the word about our work with girls in Ghana -- please share this page with your family, friends and colleagues. 
  
• It's easy -- just use the Indiegogo share tools! And, remember to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
• Visit womenstrust.org to learn more about the WomensTrust mission, to empower women and girls in Ghana to climb out of poverty through microenterprise, education and access to healthcare.