Vodafone Ghana Foundation (VGF) through its monthly Birthday Stars Initiative has engaged female youth in a recycling activity and creativity challenge to create new products using waste products.
It formed part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Month and Global Recycling Month.
The programme is meant to encourage young girls to take up Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related courses and help recognise, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving Ghana’s precious primary resources and securing the future of the earth as a whole.
Speaking at the event, Country Lead for Vodafone Ghana Foundation, Amaris Nana AdjeiPerbi, said the project brought together 50 different girls from various background; physically challenged, school dropouts, vocational, academics and professionals.
“We have brought together 50 different girls from various backgrounds to teach them STEM related activities and recycling projects. Due to this productive programme, they have been able to create things that they couldn’t have thought of. They have created 3D printing of various products as well as recycling waste materials to construct dustbins, washing basins and others”.
MrPerbi said the girls were mentored to come up with their own companies to earn a living out of the tremendous things they have created.
“We are happy that this programme has been able to equip these girls especially the dropouts to invent their own materials. We are excited to mentor them and push their agenda to be fruitful in the society in which they dwell, “he added.
The Director of Africa STEM Disability Inclusion Foundation, Mrs Victoria Osei Mensah, said it was necessary to bridge the gap between Persons with Disability and STEM, hence commended Vodafone Ghana Foundation for the initiative and partnership.
“We believe STEM education and recycling is the gateway to Ghana and Africa, contributing to its future. It reduces employment, preserves the environment and promote sustainability in the field of work,” she said.
The Dean of Engineering of Academic City University College, Dr Lucy Agyapong, noted that the initiative by Vodafone Ghana Foundation was phenomenal.
“We were privileged when Vodafone Ghana Foundation approached us to partner this programme. We were very happy to make our facilities available to these young girls to be able to get a practical hands-on experience and to build things from recyclable materials for three days. This is because, we are a strong advocator of everything green and this initiative is very much similar to how we teach here in Academic City.”
“What Vodafone Ghana Foundation is doing is phenomenal and we are blessed to be part of this wonderful project. I encourage that we take this to the younger girls as well to equip them in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering and all other STEM related courses,” she said.
