This past Friday GHEI was pleased to invite junior high school students from both Humjibre and the neighboring town of Muoho to our community center for our annual Career Opportunity Lecture Series (COLS). The students were all very excited to attend, clearly happy to have a change from their regular school routine. We counted 146 students coming from Anglican Deeper Redeemer and Muoho junior high schools.
The event started off with a series of guest speakers, beginning with a compelling motivational speech from Mr. Oscar Kobbina. Mr. Kobbina surprised his audience right away by saying that he was very disappointed in some of them, while being pleased with others. The students looked back and forth at one another wondering what he could mean. Mr. Kobbina had a group of students stand up and pointed out that they had brought their pens and notepads with them to take notes. “Yes, you can tell that they have come to learn!” Mr. Kobbina went on to share his life story with the students, detailing how he had started from very humble beginnings and that attending school as a child was a real strain on his family’s finances. He expressed the deep shame he felt early in his student life when his poor grades ranked him last in the class. He emphasized that it was this shame that motivated him to succeed, and that by the end of the next year he was first in his class. He stressed the need for all Ghanaian students to master their English language skills, as they would be necessary for success in virtually any vocation.
He went on to describe graduating from school by his “own initiative and by the grace of God,” moving on to successful careers as a teacher, then as a firefighter, and now in his retirement as the manager of a cocoa farm. He stressed that the students’ schoolwork is the foundation for the rest of their lives, and that it is not an opportunity to be squandered. He also made it clear to the students that they should not feel limited by their families’ socio-economic background. “If your parents are poor it does not mean that you are destined to be poor! It is up to you to work hard and get good grades. Only you can make your future!” The children were spellbound, and it was obvious what an encouraging influence Mr. Kobbina had.
Next was a speech by Mr. Soloman Ofosu-Addae, a social worker from Bibiani, who elaborated on many of the sentiments shared by Mr. Kobbina. Like him, Solomon had also faced the hardships of poverty during his days as a student. It was a real struggle for his father to send him to school, and there wasn’t enough money to cover his school materials, such as books and pens. Many of his relatives had to chip in to see him through his studies. Through hard work and dedication, he was able to graduate from school and found his passion for social work during his year as a national service volunteer.
Mr. Ofosu-Addae was adamant in convincing the students that they had to strive not only to work hard at their studies, but also to know themselves. He assured them that if they were aware of their interests and passions, they would be empowered to realize their dreams through a focused outlook. He also stressed that their school years could very well determine the rest of their lives, and to be very cautious of the decisions they make at this point in their lives. As a closing remark, he reminded the students that teachers are there to help, and that one should never hesitate to seek assistance and guidance from their teachers. 
The third and last speaker was Mr. Albert Assabil, from the District Health Information Office in Bibiani. His style differed from the two previous speakers in that he spoke less about his life and career and focused his lecture on the personal qualities and steps needed to lead a fulfilling and successful life. He pointed out the need for students to take responsibility for their studies; that no one but the individual can decide whether he or she will excel in their schooling. He also noted that a successful student has to be willing to “pay the price” for their education, not only the literal payment of school fees, but also the figurative cost of hard work and sacrifice. Mr. Assabil also stressed the need for a plan of action. He insisted that the students create a plan for their future, as nobody else would do this for them. This plan of action, he said, would allow them to maintain their focus, which served as his concluding point. Mr. Assabil ended his motivating speech to the youth by saying that maintaining focus on their goals would be the most important step in reaching their objectives and fulfilling their dreams.
The students then had a short break and enjoyed their snack of soft drinks and meat pies. The house DJ played “hip-life” tunes, and the energetic crowd was soon bopping around to the rhythms, each showing off their particular “Azonto” moves. Before long, the Azonto music began attracting an even bigger crowd, with children on recess at the nearby Anglican Primary School rushing into the community center to join the dance party! Just as things started to get out of hand, the music stopped and the students were called back to their seats. The second session of the day had the students rotating through focused 20-minute modules led by GHEI staff in the community library and various classrooms. Volunteer teacher Bright and Education Program Coordinator Jen Matthews ran a session on career review, which elaborated on career paths. GHEI Library Administrator Lawrence and teacher Saga ran a session on technical education, describing various technical-vocational trainings available. Education Program Manager Happy and Health Program Coordinator Abby presented a session on job skills and how they apply to particular jobs. GHEI teachers Innocent and Felicity ran the fourth tutorial on Senior High School selection and courses. The sessions were short enough to keep the students focussed and engaged, though detailed enough to answer all of their questions.
After the content-heavy afternoon sessions, the students were called back to the community centre for a few final words from GHEI Country Director Clement Donkor. He reiterated the main point of the day: studying hard now is the best way to ensure a successful future. He encouraged them to spend most of their time and energy on their studies, and reminded them that their prayers to succeed would only be answered if they worked hard themselves! Hip-life music blasted into life again at the end of the day, accompanied by the obligatory Azonto dance moves. The day was a great success for GHEI, as it was clear that our audience took the day’s lessons to heart. We wish the students of Humjibre and Muoho all the best in pursuing their career aspirations!
