The brief ceremony, held in the Conference Room of the Court of Appeal in Kumasi, saw five executives of the Club sworn-in by the Acting Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie. They are Najat Ibrahim, President; Doris Appiah, Vice President; Lantana Mohammed, Secretary; Vida Fosu Ababio, Organising Secretary and Rhoda Boadu, Treasurer.

In delivering his congratulatory message, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie implored them to “lead by example, uphold integrity and work together to ensure that the Club remains a source of learning, empowerment and inspiration for all its members”, adding that “True leadership is rooted in service, humility and the desire to uplift others.

The Acting Chief Justice also used the opportunity to share some lived experiences growing up, as a way to inspire them to dream big and work hard.

 
His Lordship Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, Acting Chief Justice delivers his congratulatory message

“I was born at Goaso and went to Goaso Roman Catholic Primary School. When I passed the Common Entrance, I went to Konongo Odumase Secondary School. It was a community secondary school. Then I went to Legon. Not only was I born and bred and Goaso, my father had 36 children. I am number 33. So you see, in my house, we were living with my nephews and nieces who were as old as I was. When a tin of milk was opened in my house, it was done with a sharp object and a very small hole was created into the milk tin and was served to many people. We never drank the entire tin of milk at once. A portion had to be kept to be used another time.  So I want to encourage you that in every situation you find yourself, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, you only have to detect how to get there. Don’t think that you are any worse. Where you are coming from is so immaterial. It helps to come from somewhere but what is most important is where you are going and where you want to get to,” he said.

 
Chief Director of Ashanti RCC, Lawyer Micheal Owusu Amoako

The Ashanti Regional Minister and Special Guest of Honour, who was represented by the Chief Director of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Lawyer Micheal Owusu Amoako, described the occasion as “a great opportunity and privilege for us in this Region to have this opportunity to mentor our girls, as many of them had no plan for their lives in the course of their migration”. He strongly believed the programme would help boost their morale and shape them to do better and improve their standards of living. 

For her part, a Justice of the Court of Appeal and Chairperson of the Planning Committee for the Mentoring Programme, Her Ladyship Justice Olivia Anku-Tsede, reiterated the importance of the Justice Club to rationalize the Judiciary’s commitment to it.

          


Her Ladyship Justice Olivia Anku-Tsede, Chairperson, Planning Committee of Mentoring Programme

“It is a platform where they can voice their concerns, build their confidence and develop the skills necessary to advocate for their rights. The Justice Club is more than just a club, as it seeks to empower ‘kayayei’ girls to take control of their lives, make informed decisions, demand their rights, and break the cycle of poverty, ignorance and exploitation” she said.

 

Dr. Emmily Kamwendo-Naphambo, Deputy Representative of UNFPA Ghana

The Deputy Representative of UNFPA Ghana, Dr. Emmily Kamwendo-Naphambo, could not hide her excitement for the initiative’s extension to the Ashanti Region. She described it as “a joy and an honour to celebrate the birth of another Justice Club, an initiative that unites mentorship, empowerment and justice under one transformative vision”.

She added that the “Justice Clubs are creating communities of strength and purpose, as young people, including ‘kayayei’ and persons with disabilities are learning about their rights, building confidence and discovering their voices and gaining mentors who prove that they too can become leaders and change makers”.

 
Najat Ibrahim, President of the Justice Club, Kumasi gives a vote of thanks

The President of the Justice Club, Najat Ibrahim, on behalf of her colleague executives expressed appreciation to the Acting Chief Justice and UNFPA for their unwavering support in empowering young girls, whiles pledging their availability and willingness to be mentored and groomed into responsible women.

The ‘Orange Girls’ are young migrant women drawn from selected markets, who have completed Junior or Senior High School and are engaged in various forms of trading and enterprise. Their inclusion in the Mentoring Programme reflects the Judicial Service’s commitment to extending the principles of justice, fairness and opportunity to all members of society, particularly those whose circumstances may not have afforded them access to such enriching experiences.

 
                                                                                                        His Lordship Justice Baffoe-Bonnie interacts with the Orange Girls post event