First Lady launches 'Because I Want To Be' project today

Ghana’s First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo’s foundation, the Rebecca Foundation, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will today, Tuesday, 11 December 2018 launch the “BECAUSE I WANT TO BE” project.

The initiative seeks to ensure the continuous education of girls, with the aim of leaving no one behind.

Girls who have dropped out of school or at risk of dropping out will be identified and supported to ensure they stay in school. Those who cannot will be supported to acquire an income generating skill.

“The challenges to educating our girls remain daunting, ranging from financial constraints to social and cultural injustices. The remedies to these multifaceted and interrelated issues must be policy based and will require an active involvement of our communities,” Mrs Akufo-Addo said ahead of the launch.

The First Lady stated that Improvement of girls’ enrolment in schools across the country is an important indicator of socio-economic development. “Indeed it is captured as goal number 4, target 4.1 under the Sustainable Development Goals because of the developmental and transformational impact on society. It is therefore very desirable for that gap to be bridged to achieve higher rates of development,” she added.

The beneficiaries of this project are nine communities along the coastal belt of the Greater Accra Region.