Mary Nnah
Girls’ education goes beyond getting girls into school. It is also about ensuring that girls learn and feel safe while in school; have the opportunity to complete all levels of education acquiring the knowledge and skills to compete in the labour market; learn the social and emotional and life skills necessary to navigate and adapt to a changing world; make decisions about their own lives; and contribute to their communities and the world.
Girls’ education is a strategic development priority. Better educated women tend to be more informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and their children are usually healthier, should they choose to become mothers.
They are more likely to participate in the formal labour market and earn higher incomes. All these factors combined can help lift households, communities, and countries out of poverty.
Understanding this fact, the driver of the Muhammad Sanusi II Sustainable Development Goals, (HH MSII SDGs) challenge has announced plans to raise $2million in funds to spur objectives realisation and the initiatives expansion across Africa.
The organisation also disclosed that it will begin its first showcase in August 2021, following the launch of the programme in January this year.
The idea of the challenge is designed to empower teachers towards achieving SDGs 4 and 5 – quality education and gender equality and consequently address other SDG challenges.
Speaking on the challenge, UN SDG Advocate and Chairman, Board of 1MillionTeachers, Muhammad Sanusi II, stated that the challenge is a call to action for female teachers across Africa in partnership with 1 million Teachers and other partners like Queens University in Kingston Ontario Canada, to create a grassroots movement of empowered teachers, which are in the frontlines of education and gender equality.
1million Teachers is an organisation based in Canada that empowers teachers to provide an inclusive and gender responsive education.
Sanusi explained further the challenge is to provide improved equitable cost-effective, safe and coordinated innovative, quality, gender-responsive education, especially for girls and to empower teachers in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to him, benefits of participation included $500 initial grant, showcasing and testing of concepts, initial eight-month incubator programme along with follow-up individuals as well as group coaching and mentorship led by 1Million Teachers.
“We give them structured support, access to mentors, life-time access to 1Million Teachers learning and development programmes”, he noted
The former Central Bank boss assured that the ground will be opened for more participants this year, as they continue to work with present cohorts till September, 2021.
President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo commended the move, adding that the initiative if taken to scale, has the greatest multiplier effect in achieving all the other SDGs.
