If anybody told the parents of Adwoa Favour (not real name for privacy reasons) 10 years ago that their daughter, then 6, would end up at the prestigious Achimota Senior High School, they would have labelled it impossible, and that would have been justifiable.
Favour’s parents, both cured lepers, would have been right by being pessimistic over what would have seemed, at the time, a mere fantasy.
Shunned, marginalised and neglected, the destitute parents of little Favour, had much more serious issues to worry about than the education of their little daughter. It was all about daily survival for the family, somewhere in the Volta Region, and education was not on the table.
But as fate would have it, miracles arrived, and the destitute parents, cured of leprosy, ended up in one of the country’s leprosariums, where they did not only find shelter and love, they also found a pathway to offer their young daughter, who lived with them at their newly-found home, the leprosarium, basic education. The opportunity of basic education was through the magnanimity of managers of the leprosarium, who offer support to several marginalised cured lepers, with nowhere to go.
FREE SHS, NEW HOPE
Prior to the inception of the Free SHS policy, many children in Favour’s situation, missed secondary education, at the end of their basic education, due to funding. The leprosarium was not in a position to fully fund the secondary education of these kids, in addition to taking care of inmates.
From nowhere, came Free SHS, which presented new hope of continuation to secondary school, for the mostly brilliant kids from the leprosarium, like Favour, who often dropped out of school inspite of their excellent grades.
With an assured, free access to secondary education, Favour knew her secondary education was guaranteed so she was determined, inspite of the serious challenges she faced in primary and junior high school.
“It was very difficult for me due to the stigmatisation I faced in my previous school. When they found out my parents are lepers and I’m from the leprosarium, they shunned me. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with me,” she said.
“I studied alone but I was determined because I knew what I wanted. I knew my secondary education was assured so I was really determined,” she added.
Favour’s determination has paid off, as she registered an excellent aggregate to gain admission to one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Ghana, Achimota Senior High School.
“I am really happy with my admission to Achimota Senior High School. I look back at the situation of my parents – where they came from and where we are now. Things have been very difficult but now, with secondary school assured, I can dream on.”
Favour’s dream is to become a lawyer in the future, “so that I can represent the marginalised and the voiceless in society.”
Without, Free SHS however, this beautiful dream, would have been dashed after basic education, like many before Favour, due to lack of funding. But now, with accomadtion, feeding, uniforms, tuition and others freely catered for by government, neither Favour’s parents nor the leprosarium, have anything to worry about. All Favour has to do is to proceed to the famous Achimota school, hitherto, the preserve of the affluent and highly connected in society.
Her transition from the leprosarium to the serene Achimota campus to pursue her dreams free of charge, gives real meaning to the Free SHS policy by the government of President Akufo-Addo.
It is ensuring inclusiveness. It is making dreams possible. And it is making significant impacts on the education of young Ghanaians across the country.
Beyond her assured SHS journey, Favour can dream on with another assurance of pursuing tertiary education. As patron of the Ghana Lepers Aid, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is said to have been touched by the excellent exploits of Favour, and has promised to see her through tertiary education, to inspire many other children of cured lepers in leprosariums.
For now, many may not get the special tertiary favour Akosua Favour has received from Dr. Bawumia. But with the opportunity of free access to secondary education, every child in Ghana, from any background, can realise dream, just as Favour.
By Dr. Margaret Coomson, Social Policy Analyst