Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, wife of the Vice President; on Friday advised the youth, especially girls, to take their education serious and aspire to attain higher goals in life.

She said they must not let people discourage them from focusing on their vision because the future is in their hands.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur was speaking at the opening of the 2014 Annual National Girls Camp in Accra.

The ten-day camp is being organized by Action AID Ghana in collaboration with the Girls Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service.

The camp, which is on the theme: “Aspire to inspire: Empowering girls for community development,” is to help promote assertiveness and build self confidence among the girls.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur charged the girls to take advantage of the opportunities given through the camping to inspire their peers back home.

She called on the girls to serve as role models in the communities by helping to fight indiscipline acts, such as littering of the environment and poor sanitation in their societies.

She noted that the girls must be encouraged to speak the truth because this is what would take them far in life.

She stressed the need for the Organizers of the Camp to instill religious discipline in the girls in order to shape them for the future.

She also tasked the Organizers to develop a routine, where early in the morning before the girls start any activity they commune with their maker through devotion.

Mr Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Country Director, ActionAID Ghana, noted that, the National Girls Camp started in 2001, as the organization’s effort to promote assertiveness, self-confidence and leadership skills among girls.

He stated that the 160 girls, who are attending the 2014 National Girls Camp were selected from deprived communities in six regions where ActionAID operates.

He said the long term objective of the programme is to build and sustain the interest of girls to stay in school and complete their education.

Mr Abdul-Rahman also noted that, some of the past graduates of the camp have now become very important people in the society including Members of Parliaments (MPs) and Assembly women among others.

He said it is expected that, the girls after the camping, would go back to their communities to inspire their peers.

Ms Gifty Anti, President, The Girl in Need Foundation, urged the girls to seek knowledge and motivate their mates back in their communities.

She urged them not to worry about their circumstances but to take advantage of the chance offered them and make use of it.