Benjamina Naana Owiredu, a 23-year-old graduate of Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Ghana Legon and Founder of We Care Foundation is one of the supporters of the #TeachATeen campaign. In this piece, she tells us why she supports the campaign.
“I can hardly recall many of the theories I learnt back in school but with the skills I acquired over the years, I find out that I keep improving on them. There is no gainsaying that formal education is very important but if the only education that a man ever acquires is within the walls of a classroom, he is most likely to become a mediocre. Education beyond the classroom is a great initiative which should be embraced across the world . There is nothing more charming than a learned person who possesses special soft skills (public speaking, people management etc) and vocational skills and abilities like braiding, bead making and makeup.
Majority of the world’s problems will not answer just to reading, writing and passing exams but to critical thinking that brings about creative ideas which can be transformed to products and services that provide value and solve problems. We all may have certificates ( prestigious ones indeed ) from various schools but what makes us distinct from others is the skills we possess. We can all attest to the fact that those who retain the lion share of the world’s wealth today are those who constantly evolve with the times in their knowledge and skills.
Learning skills and teaching it to others is a very important part of my life. In fact, thanks to the different vocational skills I possess, I help family and friends to minimize expenses which would have been impossible if I had acquired only a formal education. Furthermore, the projects I have with children get exciting because I have quite a number of skills to teach them. So, while you get your degree or pursue a formal education, you should also enroll in a graphics design class, baking class, sewing class, website development class, art class and the list goes on.”
I am Benjamina and I support the #teachateen campaign!
