GirledUp Ghana

#AppreciationFriday Today, we would like to put a spotlight on our Mentorship and Programmes Coordinator, Marcellina Kazare 🎉🎉. Marcellina played a significant role in our recent mentorship bootcamp in so many ways we cannot overlook. 👏🏽She led the development of our mentorship guide that is going to be used for 2025 👏🏽Co-authored the proposal submitted to the Swiss Embassy for funding the bootcamp 👏🏽Was in charge of all the artwork for the bootcamp. Mind you, she is not a graphic designer but has a great skill in designing and has been supporting us in that area 👏🏽Coordianted the technical logistical support for the mentorship bootcamp. Marcellina, GirledUp Ghana is grateful for your immense role played during the mentorship bootcamp and continue to play! You have also been instrumental in getting partnerships with key organizations such as the Global Mentorship Initiative ! Keep up the great work and we hope for a successful 2025! P.S. Marcellina is one of the 3 #interns we received through the African Leadership Academy and including Abdul-Karim Ngoliba and Marwan Elsayed have stayed with us even after their contract! We are grateful to them all and will share subsequent posts about Marwan and Abdul-Karim!

In Ghana, literacy rates among women have improved significantly over the years. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (2020), approximately: 📎📍 76.6% of women aged 15-24 can read and write 📎📍- 64.1% of women aged 25-34 can read and write - 📎📍54.1% of women aged 35-44 can read and write - 📎📍44.8% of women aged 45-54 can read and write -📎📍 34.6% of women aged 55 and older can read and write Despite these improvements, there is still a need to support and empower women, particularly in younger girls to acquire literacy skills and set goals for their personal and professional development. It was a delight to have collaborated with GirledUp Ghana during a Bootcamp to help girls set goals and a create a vision board for the first time. 4 of our members have also taken an additional responsibility to mentor at least 2 girls each for the next one year. What a joy this brings to us. #GirlsGoalGetters, we believe in the power of goal setting, reading, and adventure as a way to spread joy and empower women. Our joy is to provide a supportive community that encourages women to: 1️⃣Set and achieve their goals 2️⃣Develop a love for reading and learning 3️⃣Explore new experiences and adventures 4️⃣Build confidence and resilience 5️⃣Support and uplift one another Goal-setting, reading, and adventure are how we aim to create a holistic approach to personal growth and development. Join us on this journey, and let's spread joy and empowerment to women everywhere! Justina Onumah (PhD) thank you for the invitation. Kezia Adrah Eunice Asantewaa Ankomah, MCIPR, CDFP Hannah Elizabeth A. Patience Gyamenah Okyere Asante, PhD Laura Akafful Let's do this @Ma

This year has taught me a lot on #resilience, #wins and #losses. Almost all the research grants I made submissions for weren’t successful and I thought the year hasn’t been too good. But then I realised I had won so many other things that calls for celebration and gratitude and that’s not even a joke! We lose ourselves in the moments of losses and think we haven’t done much for ourselves but when you sit and reflect you would realise that there is so much life has given you that you need to be grateful for! I am truly grateful to God for 2024 and the immerse opportunities of growth it brought my way! Building GirledUp Ghana and sustaining our momentum throughout the year was such a blessing! The extra appointments/roles I received in addition to my core #research work were such huge leaps I am definitely grateful for! Looking forward and walking into 2025 with so much hope and confidence! It’s a year I am going to drag myself out there and push till the walls are broken! I am ending the year happy and fulfilled! Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 friends and family!

Sending our heartfelt Christmas wishes to you all! We are grateful for your support throughout the year! We are hopeful for a more impactful year in 2025! Merry Christmas family🎄🎁

The 2024 mentorship bootcamp wasn’t all about mentorship and goal setting!🤩 It was also time to celebrate our first year anniversary! 🎉🎉🎉💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽 Cheers to a year of sustained momentum and impact! We are grateful to everyone who supported us the past year to keep the vision alive! U.S. Department of State University of Delaware Mandela Washington Fellowship Girls Inc. of Delaware Microsoft for Nonprofits Global Mentorship Initiative African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) #EmbassyofSwitzerlandinGhana #USEmbassyAccra Girls Goal Getters Incas Diagnostics Femafricmaths Girl Up, United Nations Foundation Gh Scientific IoT Network Hub - Africa @INNOVTEC STEM CENTER African Leadership Academy

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of mentoring young girls at the GirledUp Ghana boot camp and the first anniversary celebration at the University of Ghana. It was a great time with mentees. I assisted them with setting goals for the next year and beyond and creating a vision board. I also got to listen to their challenges with their studies and help them overcome them. Most of all, it was impressive and fulfilling to listen to the stories of young girls who had benefitted from GirledUp Ghana in diverse ways during the panel discussion and how they have grown and become more confident in their choices of career paths and become better with public speaking. I also got to meet so many amazing people who are doing so well in building the visions of young people, especially when it comes to self-development and every area of life. Thank you, Justina Onumah (PhD) and GirledUp Ghana, for this impactful boot camp. It was worth attending. P.S.: Tomorrow is Christmas! Merry Christmas to you all 🎄🥳🎉🎊❤️

Thanks so much for the partnership!

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of volunteering at the GirledUp BootCamp, invited by the inspiring Justina Onumah (PhD). It was an honor to serve the brilliant young girls participating in this program. Throughout the day, I witnessed how mentorship have shaped these girls into confident and curious individuals with a growing interest in STEM fields. Their passion and determination to break barriers left me truly inspired. Special thanks to Justina Onumah (PhD), the mentors, volunteers and all the support systems that are empowering these girls to reach their full potential. I am proud to be a part of this journey. Let’s continue to inspire, mentor, and support the next generation of women. #GirledUp #InspiringGirlsToBecome #Mentorship #STEM

The mentees plenary was one of our innovative item at the 2024 #MentorshipBootcamp. Moderated by the ever smart Ms Doris Edem Agbevivi , the girls were on fire! We were super proud of the confidence they exhibited on stage, being their first time! They spoke about how GirledUp Ghana has built their confidence, allowed them to dream for the future in areas they have never thought, the confidence they’ve built in STEM and the opportunity to be mentored by achieved mentors. These are some of the words from the girls: “As someone who wants to read law, I didn’t know how STEM connected to me but being in GirledUp Ghana has made me understand that anyone in any field can still apply #STEM to their careers” - Lisa “I was very shy to stand before people and talk but GirledUp has built my confidence and now I even stand before my class to give them extra tutoring lessons” - Rudy “GirledUp Ghana has made me see the great potential in me. Prior to joining GirledUp, I could hardly offer myself to take up a speaking role because I thought I didn’t have anything better to say but that has completely changed. I am more confident in my abilities and potential because of GirledUp Ghana “ - Priscilla “GirledUp Ghana has taught me that I can be anything I want to be. The science that I thought was difficult is no longer difficult for me. I see myself combining arts and science in the future because I like arts and I like science too” - Adelaide We are building a generation of girls who are confident and are not afraid to talk up roles now and in the future! #Inspiringgirlstovecome

Our 2024 #Mentorship #Bootcamp was an absolute success! A huge appreciation to the #Embassy of #Switzerland in #Ghana, Benin and Togo for making this a reality! Our speakers, partners and mentors were phenomenal! We will be sharing excerpts of the proceedings subsequently! #STEM #Diplomacy #girls #mentorship