Ahantaman Girls Senior High School, has won the maiden Osei-Kusi Foundation’s (OKF) Leadership Award Scheme for Girls with a prize of GH¢ 5,000.00 and motivational books.

A statement by the Foundation and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, said Ahantaman emerged winners following a tough competition between three high schools and with a panel of judges made up of 15 headmistresses.

It observed that the cash prize would enable the girls to renovate their school’s washroom by changing the toilet bowls and roofing sheets.

It said: “The girls only had to beat St Roses Girls Senior High School and St Monica’s Senior High School in a competition of summarising OKF’s Young Leader’s Handbook and convincing the judges with their proposal.”

St Monica’s Girls Senior High School automatically got the third place because of the inability of the students to make their presentation due to technical hitches. They received educational materials from OKF just like every participant.

“The schools involved were great schools so we knew we were in for a strong competition but we also knew with hard work and determination we could make it,” Yaa Sarpomaa Sarpong, team leader for the Ahantaman.

She said there were many problems identified in the school but renovating the lavatory topped them all given that it had not received any attention so many years after it was built.

“Indeed it was necessary to choose the renovation because it affected teaching and learning,” Sarpomaa added.

She was convinced that the money given to them would be enough to complete the renovation since the Student Representative Council had started some works.

Yaa Sarpomaa applauded the efforts of OKF in putting together the award adding that it would go a long way to develop the leadership skills of young girls, while helping to solve issues in various schools.

Commenting on the Award Scheme, the Headmistress of the Wesley Girls High School, who is also the President of the Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High Schools (FOHGSHS), Mrs Betty Djokoto, congratulated Ahantaman Girls and praised OKF for the initiative and its partnership with the FOHGSHS to develop the leadership skills of young girls.

Dr Kofi Osei-Kusi, the Executive President of OKF, said the goal of the award is to equip girls in Ghana with essential leadership competencies such as problem solving skills, innovation and self-confidence.

He said it would also encourage them to participate in decision making at the school, community and national levels.

According to him, the project would drive Ghana towards achieving the Millennium Development Goal 3 aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women.

“In a long term OKF and FOHGSHS seek to make the awards scheme an annual event and use it as a platform to provide leadership development, encourage selflessness and innovation among students and the youth at large,” Dr Osei-Kusi hinted.

The leadership award scheme for girls was launched last year to provide a platform for development of leadership skills of young girls.