Providing opportunities in education, training and access to employment for some of the poorest children in Africa.

This is the Let Us Shine Vocational centre in Kpandai. Classes here are free to those in most need. 51 local people attend this class and numbers are rising. They are taught vital literacy skills alongside, cleanliness, cookery, dress making and agriculture as well as life saving sexual health courses. These skills greatly increase vocational prospects as well as lifeskills.

Over 50% of the attendees are women – women have significantly less access to financial, physical and social assets than men do; fewer opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills; and less voice in public decision-making. This vocational centre aims to help change this. In rural areas of Ghana women play an essential role in crop production, live stock care and they provide the food, water and fuel that their families need. It is this critical role that means women often don’t get the chance to attend school. Over 65% of women ages 16 and older have not received any formal education. The students that are able to attend this school take four hours of evening classes per week then return home to educate siblings, parents and in most cases their children.

A number of women attending this class described themselves to me as “business women” who grow yams and sell them for profit; without the support of the LUS vocational classes they would not be able to comprehend their sales or record their trade.

This grant will provide vital text books and teaching support for 2016 numeracy and literacy classes.