In an effort to tackle the growing problem of misguided academic and career choices among young learners, the SungKangBaasung Foundation has launched the “Talk to Me Initiative”—a mentorship and career guidance programme designed to help Junior High School (JHS) students in the Nadowli-Kaleo District make informed decisions about their education and future careers.
The initiative, themed “Empowering Students to Dream, Decide, and Do!”, seeks to bridge what the foundation describes as the widening gap between potential and opportunity among Ghanaian youth. Citing data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the foundation notes that fewer than 20 per cent of JHS graduates nationwide attain the grades required to enter their first-choice senior high schools. In some rural districts, including parts of the Upper West Region, this figure is even lower.
The “Talk to Me” Initiative aims to change this trend by providing structured mentorship and practical guidance to students at the basic school level. According to the foundation, many students in the Nadowli-Kaleo District choose courses and schools without adequate counselling, only to later realise that their decisions do not align with their abilities or long-term goals.
To address this challenge, the foundation is deploying a team of professionals drawn from various sectors—education, health, law, security, technical and vocational training, and civil service—to visit schools and engage directly with students.
The programme will roll out in phases, with the first covering Gbanko, Samatigu, Sombo, Zang, and Kaleo communities. Activities will include general career talks, one-on-one mentoring sessions with professionals, and the creation of a mentorship platform to ensure continuous support for participating students.
The organisers explained that if such initiatives are embraced and sustained, they will help many students to understand which programmes to choose at the senior high school level, leading to a smoother transition to tertiary education. This, they added, would enable students to master their chosen fields with the knowledge and skills necessary to secure rewarding jobs after graduation.
They further observed that many students aspire to become doctors and other professionals but are often unaware of the subject combinations required to pursue such careers at the university level. This gap in awareness, they said, is one of the key issues the foundation seeks to address through its mentorship sessions.
“It’s our collective responsibility to support our young ones on the right career paths. Nobody will do it for us if we don’t,” said one of the organisers of the programme.
The foundation emphasised that even a brief conversation with the right mentor can make a lasting impact on a student’s future. “A single 10-minute conversation can change a life,” a statement from the organisers noted, underscoring the power of early guidance in shaping purposeful and goal-oriented students.
They have also urged the District Education Directorate and other key stakeholders in the education sector to support the initiative, stressing that such collaborations are vital in shaping the future of young learners and ensuring that education in the district becomes more meaningful and impactful.
Through this initiative, the foundation hopes to instil confidence, ambition, and a sense of direction in young learners—helping them to dream, decide, and do.
The SungKangBaasung Foundation can be reached via email at sungkangbaasung24@gmail.com or by phone at 054 924 3100 for inquiries, support, or collaboration
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