Educating young people empowers them to make better choices in life and grow into responsible adults.
AFAWI launched a Teen Club in January 2008 at Green Hill International School for students in Junior High School (grades 7 to 9). The Teen Club meet once a week to learn and discuss topics like current events, leadership, health and sexual maturation, characteristics of responsible adults, the media and culture.
Student executives, elected by members of the Club, plan activities for the group with the help of teachers and AFAWI volunteers and at the end of each school term, AFAWI celebrates the contribution of Club members by hosting an awards ceremony to recognize exceptional students.
The Club also plan long-term projects that will benefit the school community. For example, very few public schools in Ghana have libraries, particularly at the Junior and Senior High levels so the Club is exploring the possibility of building a library for Junior High students, providing access to English-language fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers and textbooks.
We’ve had great feedback from Teen Club members; students have said that it has helped them build new friendships, develop religiously and learn about current issues in their community.
AFAWI’s next challenge is to officially launch the Teen Club in Taifa Community School where it relocated in March 2010 and to involve teachers and parents in the planning, support and fundraising needed to successfully run the Club. AFAWI also aims to expand its youth development initiative by creating new Teen Clubs in other schools in the community, and hopes to copy the model across various districts and regions nationwide.
Youth development: Teen Club
