YOUNG GIRLS TO BATTLE IDEAS IN A LEADERSHIP AWARD SCHEME

Girls groups made up of 3 to 5 members in Senior High Schools all over the country would in the coming month battle out their ideas with each other for GH₵ 5,000 in the new award scheme initiated by the Osei-Kusi Foundation.

The Awards Scheme which is implemented in partnership with the Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High Schools' (FOHGSHS) seeks to offer a platform for development of leadership skills for young girls and to equip them with essential competencies such as problem solving skills, innovation and self-confidence.

Participants are expected to download an application form from the Foundation's website, identify a social need in their school or its environs and propose proactive solutions to solve it. The finalists will present their projects at the award ceremony in January 2015 and will be assessed by a distinguish panel of judges. There will also be one-on-one mentoring sessions for finalists and leadership quiz competitions based on one of Osei-Kusi Foundation's personal development books.

The award scheme was launched on Wednesday, 13th August at the 2014 annual summer camp of the Forum of Heads of Girls' Senior High Schools (FOHGSHS) held at Krobo Girls in the Eastern region.

Speaking on the theme, integrity and morality in leadership, the Executive President of Osei-Kusi Foundation, Mr. Kofi Osei Kusi advised the young leaders not to compromise their integrity for anything that will destroy their future and focus on making an impact in whatever capacity they find themselves today.

He also added that, the destiny of the Africa lies in hands of the youth, of which the girl-child is no exception. He recognized the roles some women have played in the development and transformation of nations around the world.

He further noted that Osei-Kusi Foundation is keen on developing the next generation of leaders who will transform the fortunes of Africa. According to him, Ghana cannot afford to play games with the future of its youth hence the need to invest in them.

Mrs. Betty Djokoto, headmistress of Wesley Girls High School and president of the Forum of Heads of Girls' Senior High Schools (FOHGSHS) in her address lauded the initiative and said it would contribute significantly to harnessing the leaderships skills of the girl-child.

She also noted that FOHGSHS remains dedicated to ensuring that the girl-child is educated for national development.