Her Education Almost Ended. Teen Girls Club Kept It Going.

By Ernestina Esinam Glikpo, Communications Manager

At just 17 years old, Zinabu from the small vibrant community of Nkontomire, in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, is living proof that a little support can change the course of a girl’s life.

Zinabu always dreamed of becoming a teacher. After completing junior high school with the best grade in her class—an impressive aggregate of 18—she hoped to continue her education, but for her father, who struggles to make ends meet, Zinabu’s dream felt painfully out of reach.

“He said he didn’t have money,” Zinabu recalls. “Even though I had the grades, he had decided not to send me to school.”

That’s when Self-Help International’s Teen Girls Club stepped in.

During a visit with Zinabu’s father, the SHI team explained the scholarship opportunity. After learning about the support available, her father agreed to let Zinabu continue her education.

Thanks to generous Self-Help International donors, Zinabu received a scholarship that provided the basic items she needed to enroll at Serwaa Kesse Girls Senior High School—books, clothing, supplies, and money for transportation. It was the difference between dropping out and stepping confidently into her future.

“Now I don’t have to rely on my father to struggle to get me money,” Zinabu says. “The scholarship has helped reduce the pressure on my family—and I can focus on my studies.”

And she didn’t arrive at senior high school empty-handed. As a proud graduate of SHI’s Teen Girls Club, Zinabu came prepared. The reading and life skills lessons she learned through the club gave her the confidence to participate fully in class. “Because of the reading classes, I’ve been able to catch up. I can read and contribute just like everyone else,” she shares with a smile.

Today, Zinabu is thriving in Form 1. She’s adjusting to high school life, studying hard, and keeping her dream of becoming a teacher alive. 

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