Voice 1 Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Adam Navis. Voice 2 And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1 In a small village in rural Ghana you might see a piece of paper attached to a tree. This paper has a simple message. It says: "Send the girl to school." In the same area, a different paper is also attached to a tree. This paper includes a picture of three women. One of the women is a judge. Another is an engineer. And another is a nurse. The words on the paper say: "Stay in school and you could be one of these." Many people see these messages. And they believe they are good. But there is still a problem. Not enough girls go to school in this area.
Voice 2 In fact, lack of girls in school is a problem worldwide. The Department for International Development says that more than 41 million girls across the world are out of school. However, about half of these girls live in sub-Saharan Africa. Ghana is a country in this area. The goal is for girls and boys to receive education equally. That is, for every boy in a school, there should also be a girl. But this is not the case. Experts say that in Ghana 91 percent of boys finish primary school, school for children up to age twelve. But only 79 percent of girls finish primary school here. As children get older, the numbers get lower and lower. Fewer and fewer girls attend school as they get older.
Voice 1 There are many reasons girls do not attend school. Many times parents might tell the children to stay home from school. Many of the people of this area are farmers. They depend on the girls of their family. These girls prepare and serve food to their parents working in the field. Many girls must gather water from far distances. Or, girls are responsible for working to earn money. That is the case for Abigail Appetey. Jessica Shepherd is a reporter for the Guardian newspaper. She visited Ghana and told Abigail's story. Voice 2 Abigail is twelve years old. She lives in Apismu. This is a farming village in Eastern Ghana. Jessica tells how Abigail wants to become a teacher. But she misses a lot of school. And she is always tired in class. Three days of the week Abigail cannot attend school. Instead, she must wake from sleep very early in the morning. She buys fish from an area three miles away. Then she returns and sells her fish to the people in the village. But the money Abigail earns does not go toward her education. Instead, this money goes toward her older brother's education! Voice 1 Many parents here believe it is more important to send their boys to school. Ms. Shepherd also wrote about Joseph Appiah. He works in Ghana for the organization Plan. Plan works in developing countries to fight for the rights of children. They also help children and their families out of poverty. Mr. Appiah sees how parents give greater support to their boys attending school. He says: Voice 3 "The parents feel that a girl will marry and belong to another family. But a boy will bring back what he makes to his parents." Voice 2 It is difficult to change this way of thinking. These beliefs run deep in many cultures. But having girls in school has many good results. Experts say that just ONE YEAR of full-time primary school can make a difference. A girl with this kind of education can earn better wages - by ten to twenty percent! Another year of school can make a bigger difference.
Voice 1 Girls who go to school often become more active in their communities. They help make important decisions. And they work to improve their villages and farther communities. Experts also say that girls who go to school are fifty percent more likely to have their children vaccinated. Their children are healthier and live longer.
Voice 2 That is why Plan has been using a new way to encourage parents to send their girls to school. In 2007, Plan began working with the Ghana Football Association. Their aim was to offer support to girls who wanted to go to school. Football is a very popular sport in Ghana - for people of both sexes and all ages! So, the organizations thought they could use this fact to get parents to put their girls in school.
Voice 1 The project began in Asesewa, a village in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Plan agreed to provide football equipment like uniforms, footballs, and pitches to play on. They agreed to pay for the coaches and referees. These people are necessary to guide the children and keep the games fair. Plan also agreed to provide for the medical needs of the players.
Voice 2 With the support of Plan and the Ghana Football Association, schools in Ghana formed football clubs just for girls. Only girls who went to school could play football on these teams.
Voice 1 The football games are very popular - and very serious. Hundreds of people come to watch the girls' football matches. During free time between the matches, Plan and the girl football players spread good information about education, children, and girls. They encourage people to treat their children well. They tell people about the bad results of child labor. And they tell of the importance of family planning and how to prevent teenage pregnancies.
Voice 2 Nancy lives in Asesewa and is a part of the football team in her school. Plan says that for Nancy "football means freedom." Plan sees how playing football has many good results for girls like Nancy. She is learning how to work with other people on a team. Playing football requires her to make decisions and solve problems with her team. Plan says that these skills will help her develop her community in the future.
Voice 1 The girls who take part in the football clubs feel empowered - like they can do anything they want. Some aim to be football stars as they grow older. Others aim to be leaders in their country. Nancy has even begun to feel more power in her own family. Nancy's parents value her abilities. And they include her in important decisions in her own home.
Voice 2 Plan's football program has begun to spread farther and farther through Ghana. Leaders see the good results for girls AND communities. Kwuke Ngua is a local leader in his community. He also sees the importance of girls' education. He told the Guardian newspaper: Voice 4 "We used to think women were not designed for education. But now we believe it does them well. They have more skills, which they can bring to the community. All girls should go to school." Voice 1 The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. All quotes have been adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users can hear more Spotlight programs on our website at http://www.radio.english.net. This program is called "Girls Football and Education." Voice 2 If you have a comment or question, you can email us. Our email address is radio@english.net. Goodbye!
